Opposition to resort plan for old car parts factory

COUNCIL officers are recommending that proposals for a £60m leisure resort on the outskirts of Caernarfon should be refused planning permission.

Maybrook Investments has submitted plans to develop the Ferodo factory site and nearby Plas Brereton into a holiday village and 3,000 square metre waterpark including restaurants, 10 pin bowling, spa and on-site shops.

Including 173 holiday lodges and another 51 new build holiday flats, developers claim that around 80 jobs would be created while pumping over £1.28m to the local economy by 2024 and attracting 32,000 visitors. The plans also involve nine commercial units on the former Ferodo car parts factory site, which has lain empty since 2008.

Plas Brereton, meanwhile, would be restored and converted into four holiday units with another 18 holiday lodges built nearby.

But a report that will be presented to Gwynedd council’s planning committee on November 22 will recommend that councillors refuse the plans amid concerns over the visual impact on the

Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the language, claiming developers have not presented enough information to disprove several concerns.

Objections have also been voiced by members of the public, with Caernarfon Town Council also recommending refusal on the basis of flooding fears due to being too close to the banks of the Menai Strait and that the development would have a detrimental impact on the Welsh language.

But despite the authority’s economic unit welcoming aspects of the application, others have stated reservations and outright opposition, citing a lack of detail in the plans provided.

The authority’s language unit noted: “A statement is made on contributing to the retention of young people within the area, without any evidence to support that statement.”

Natural Resources Wales also state that not enough information has been provided, seeking more details regarding foul drainage, protected sites, and impact on the views across the Menai Strait.