£2M SCHEME GREEN LIGHT
Go-ahead for plans to turn ex-chapel into restaurant, cinema and lifeboat home
AN ambitious £2m development including a restaurant, cinema and permanent home for the local lifeboat has been approved by planners.
Earlier this year, Cemaes Community Interest Company (CIC) applied for permission to convert the former Bethlehem Chapel in Cemaes Bay to protect it from potential property development.
The £2m capital investment is said to create a total of 28 jobs in the restaurant, retail units and holiday let, with the new tourist attraction and museum set to open all year round.
Much of the 1856 chapel will be retained as part of the development, but a new single-storey building on the slope below will house the village lifeboat between September and May and include museum space.
Two retail outlets, a 72-seat cinema and holiday let overlooking the bay and the harbour are also part of the plan.
Michelle Humphreys, chair of Cemaes CIC, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have been granted planning permission for this ambitious ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity to create a new jewel in Anglesey’s crown for the benefit of the whole community and the island’s vital tourism economy.
“Special thanks are extended to all the Llanbadrig Parish residents who have supported the project by attending public events to provide their valuable feedback and insight to help shape the decisions for this grass roots, community-led project.”
A community skills development fund will also be created from 50% of the enterprise’s profits to remove some of the financial difficulties of employment and training for local people.
The business model includes leasing the 100-cover restaurant on a 10-year basis and the two retail units on a five-year deal, with the revenue generated from both those and the holiday let to cover the revenue and maintenance costs.
Ms Humphreys said: “We would also like to say a huge thank you to local charitable trust Cronfa Padrig, who awarded Cemaes CIC £16,566 funding for the project’s development phase, the Capel Bethlehem Cemaes Trustees for believing in our vision, Russell Hughes Cyf Architects, Llangefni for all their support along the way and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority for its generous award of £150,000 Magnox socio-economic scheme funding as early adopters to back this transformational development.”