Snowdonia: Old school to become housing for homeless people

The building has been empty for more than a decade

A council has won an appeal to demolish a former school and replace it with emergency housing for homeless people.

Snowdonia's planning committee blocked Gwynedd Council's plan in April 2021 citing parking and privacy issues if Hen Ysgol Glanwnion in Dolgellau was pulled down.

But the Welsh government's planning inspector said the benefits would outweigh the "limited harm".

The school was built in 1884 but has been empty for 11 years.

Upholding the appeal, planning inspector Ian Stevens said privacy could be controlled by imposing planning conditions.

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He also said the school was not a listed building and there was "limited" evidence of the reasons for it being included in the council's register of traditional buildings.

The school would be replaced by a new development of emergency accommodation and office space

"The combination of extensions and external alterations, together with deterioration during vacancy, limits its contribution to the historic character of the area," he added.

The inspector said the five units of supported accommodation proposed would help meet a proven need to help homeless people in Meironnydd and Gwynedd.