WATERFRONT PLAN SLAMMED
Second phase of development at ex-boatyard dubbed ‘blot on landscape’:
A bid to build 55 apartments on the waterfront in Bangor has been described as “gaudy, tacky and completely wrong”.
Watkin Jones Group want to build the houses on the former Dickies Boatyard site.
The site, now called Y Bae, already has 72 apartments, houses and townhouses and opposition to the “phase 2” plan is growing. More than 600 people have signed a petition opposing the scheme, with Bangor City Council and the Bangor Civic Society also lining up against it.
The city council says a new access would need to be put in place to accommodate the size of the development, adding that the proposals were “too large, too high and unacceptable for the area” and would be an overdevelopment of the site.
Garth councillor Huw Jones claimed the plan would “change the views over Hirael Bay forever” and change “Bangor’s iconic waterfront for the worse”. Mayor Derek Hainge described the plans as “an eyesore that people don’t want. It will completely destroy the view. It is a totally unnecessary blot on the landscape.” He urged people to write individual letters.
But Watkin Jones insist the development would meet a need for new housing for local, Welsh-speaking families – either first-time buyers or families moving to “a more tranquil environment”.
Bangor Civic Society called it “gaudy, tacky and completely wrong.” Secretary Don Mathew said: “In no way is this site ready for development. There are major unresolved issues, such as flooding of access roads, a history of polluted ground, and accurate bird counts. The protective sea wall has not even been built yet.
“The chosen materials bear no relation to the built or natural environment, and will be an intrusive blot on the landscape. They will, in particular, jar badly with the recent step towards getting UNESCO World Heritage status for the North Wales Slate Industry.”
The Civic Society has also found that Japanese knotweed is growing on the site.
Mr Mathew said: “Experts are now examining the situation, but believe that a proper eradication programme could last three years. This has serious implications for anyone wanting mortgages and insurance.”
A Gwynedd Council spokesman said the application is likely to go before its planning committee on May 14. The proposals can be found on its ‘Track & Trace’ system, number C18/0238/11/LL.