Tell us more about future towers plan
COUNCILLORS are to demand more information about plans to redevelop a well-known historic landmark.
The 13th century Porth Mawr was one of the main entrances to Caernarfon in medieval times.
Plans drawn up by Cadw suggest the site could be transformed into holiday apartments, a tourism space and give access to the town’s walls as part of a regeneration project.
Members of Caernarfon Town council, meeting to discuss the proposals, agreed with the objectives of the proposals but decided there wasn’t sufficient information to come to a decision.
Former Mayor, Cllr Hywel Roberts, said there was also unhappiness a full public consultation on the plans that would involve such a major change in the appearance of the historic building – which would affect its environmental impact – had not taken place.
He proposed to delay a decision and to ask CADW whether or not they would hold a full public discussion on the proposals.
And if this was not possible he suggested asking them to send a spokesperson to the next council meeting in order SIR Bryn Terfel’s first singing engagement in North Wales since he was knighted in the New Year Honours List will be a concert to celebrate Criccieth Festival’s 30th Anniversary.
The opera superstar appeared at the first three Criccieth Festivals and has been a patron of the Festival since 1993.
Festival chairman Philip George said: “We are delighted he has found time in his busy schedule to return to the Festival to celebrate our 30th anniversary and we are grateful to the concert’s premium sponsors, Carl Kammerling International Ltd. and the Chapman Charitable Trust, for their financial support.”
The concert starring Sir Bryn will take place at the Memorial Hall Criccieth on Saturday June 17.
The line-up will also feature his fiancée, harpist Hannah Stone, and the 11-year-old musical prodigy, Alma Deutcher.
Also appearing will be Côr Ieuenctid Môn, who won the children’s choir competition at to explain the proposals fully and to answer councillors’ questions and reservations. He said: “I contrasted the approach of the Harbour Trust, which had held two public discussions recently on their plans to develop the Slate Quay site.What impressed me was a video showing how the site was likely to look following the development. The CADW last year’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod, along with the soloists Heulen Cynfal and Huw Ynyr, who respectively won the 19-25 soprano and tenor competitions at last year’s National Eisteddfod, and accompanist Annette Bryn Parri.
The concert will be compered by the TV presenter Emma Walford, whose family hails from Criccieth.
Tickets for the concert cost £35 each and can be purchased in person only between 10am and 4pm on Saturday, March 4, at the Memorial Hall, in Criccieth.
Tickets will be limited to two per person and must be paid for in cash or by cheque. It will not be possible to book tickets by telephone or email or to pay by credit card.
If any tickets remain after Saturday, March 4, an announcement regarding the sale of those tickets will be made.
The Festival takes place between June 16 and 25 and the full programme will be published before Easter. plans did not even have an artist’s impression of what the finished development would look like.
“The physical impact on the environmental appearance of a development is essential. Without such information I didn’t feel that I could come to a decision.”
The building once housed the Royal Exchequer for the area before becoming a town hall and later a theatre before falling derelict.
A spokesman for planning agent, Donald Insall Associates, said: “Owners Cadw are now looking to rejuvenate this building and its surrounding area by finding a new and sustainable use for it as well as also providing public access to the town walls via Porth Mawr.
“The presented scheme proposes to develop the derelict building into two fivestar holiday apartments with access to a private roof terrace in the South tower and an interpretation space in the North tower, providing access to the walls as an extension of the Caernarfon Castle offer to visitors.”
The final say lies with Gwynedd Council’s planning committee, who will discuss the plans in due course.