Caernarfon hotel plan backed despite opposition

The hotel is proposed to be built on the site of a former golf clubhouse

Plans to build a 12-bedroom hotel on the outskirts of Caernarfon have been backed by Gwynedd councillors despite anger over its potential visual impact.

It will replace Ty Glan Menai, a former golf clubhouse, on the Aber foreshore.

Bontnewydd Community Council claimed the three-storey development would be too large, fearing its impact on an area of outstanding natural beauty.

But planning officers said the hotel would not cause undue harm.

A similar scheme was rejected by the council in 2011, but permission was granted following an appeal in 2012.

However, the plan had to be presented again because the approval expired in 2017, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A decision had been deferred last month pending more inquiries about flood risks and accessibility for the emergency services.

The Aber foreshore is across the Menai Strait from the Anglesey Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

But planning officer Cara Owen told councillors they had raised no serious concerns.

"It's felt that there is a local need and such a hotel would benefit the local economy as well as expanding the range of accommodation that already exists in the Caernarfon area," she said.

Councillor Eric Jones said he was still concerned about parking issues.

"The roads around the site are already full to the brim when there's a big competition at the golf club," he said.

However, Councillor Anne Lloyd Jones said she felt the scheme would help the local economy.

"My only question would be why the delay, when the plans were given approval as far back as 2012?" she added.