Plug pulled on plans that would take 800 YEARS to complete at current rate
JUST 27 HOUSES BUILT ON PLOT SINCE PERMISSION WAS GRANTED IN 1967
JUST 27 houses were built on a new estate in Snowdonia that received the green light to develop 401 properties more than 50 years ago.
Now the Court of Appeal has ruled the halfcentury-old planning permission in Aberdyfi is no longer valid.
Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) quashed the original masterplan in order to “provide certainty” to locals.
It followed concerns that developers were set to build more properties on the 29-acre site – and that these could vary significantly from the consent originally awarded in January 1967 by the thenMeirioneth County Council.
Over the ensuing four decades, 27 homes were eventually built on Balkan Hill overlooking the Dyfi estuary.
At the current rate of progress, the entire 401home development would not have been completed until the year 2809.
Jonathan Cawley, SNPA’s director of planning and land management, felt the 1967 permission had become invalid as the developments deviated significantly from the original consent.
“None of the 27 houses built on the site were in accordance with the original masterplan,” he said.
“For us this raised serious questions as to what would be developed on the site in the future.”
SNPA’s stance was challenged by the developer, Hillside Parks Ltd, which had designed the 1967 masterplan to “harmonise with the natural landscaping”.
Clusters of mixed housing, from flats and bungalows to three-bedroom homes, were to be built around a large open space.
From here, a gazebo would give views of the estuary.
By 1987, when only 19 dwellings had been built, Gwynedd Council had become the planning authority.
When, that year, it moved to void the 1967 permission, it lost a High Court judgement against the site owner, Landmaster Investments.
In its own case, Hillside Parks Ltd argued that the original masterplan was still valid and that this had been vindicated by the 1987 decision.
In September 2019 the issue was tried in the High Court, which found in favour of SNPA, quashing the original planning permission.
This decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal last week.
Mr Cawley welcomed the verdict.
“There was considerable uncertainty regarding the site and how it would evolve,” he said
“This (decision) addresses the significant confusion and uncertainty surrounding this historic scheme.
“Any future development in the area will now have to comply with the Local Development Plan.”