Planners’ green light to demolish former church
A FORMER Catholic church looks set to be demolished after being given the green light by council planners – despite local opposition.
The Resurrection of Our Saviour church in Morfa Nefyn was built in 1967-68, in light of the increasing number of summer visitors to the area.
But half a century on, Gwynedd Council’s planning department received an application to raze it to the ground – having fallen victim to a sweeping closure programme announced by the Bishop of Wrexham in 2016.
The move saw 22 Catholic churches being closed across north Wales, with Bishop Brignall of Wrexham Diocese acknowledging that it would be seen “by some as shocking and a scandal”.
The plan submitted by ECA Associates Ltd and now approved by planning officers, will see the site “cleared, levelled and seeded pending potential redevelopment proposals” after accepting that the “redundant” building “is no longer required”.
The decision comes despite opposition from Nefyn Town Council who urged planning chiefs to refuse on the grounds of it being a “historical building” as well as the proximity of a public footpath to the church and concerns over access.
But in their summing up, Gwynedd Council planning officers found the proposals to be acceptable, after being convinced that it no longer served a purpose.
“The proposal is not contrary to any relevant policy nor is it likely to have a detrimental effect on the amenities of the local area or nearby houses or species that are refused, therefore it is considered acceptable to approve it. The relevant planning objections have been fully considered in assessing the application and, although other issues have been identified, concerns regarding the future effects of development of the site and the loss of non-statutorily protected architectural features, are such matters material to the development in question.
“Due to the rules permitting demolition, the application must be determined in accordance with the material considerations set out in the permitted General Development Order. There is no evidence of any material planning reason relevant to the demolition method and site remediation to refuse the application. The application is therefore considered acceptable.”
A future use for the site has not been revealed, but officers noted that developers were “keen” to clear the site in preparation for re-development.
Mainly brick built, the church also contained a series of 12 dalle de verre windows by the artist Jonah Jones, which have now been reinstalled at a Catholic secondary school in Rhyl.