Anger as historic chapel sells for more than twice the asking price
POLITICIANS CALL FOR ACTION AFTER ‘YET ANOTHER’ BUILDING SOLD TO BUYER OUTSIDE REGION
AHISTORIC chapel in the heart of Pen Llyn has sold for a whopping £257,000 at auction – more than double the starting price.
Capel Bethania in Pistyll was auctioned off by Auction House UK with a starting price of £120,000.
The chapel recently became embroiled in controversy at the centre of a secondhome row after the site was advertised on Auction House UK’s website as a “holiday home”.
Their website and social media posts also explained that planning is already in place for a four-bedroom holiday home on the site.
Following the announcement that the building would be sold at auction, campaigners set up a Facebook group and a fundraising page through the GoFundMe site in the hope that they could buy it themselves. Unfortunately, the fundraising page only managed to raise £29,726 of their £120,000 goal.
It is not yet known whether the building was purchased by someone local or as a second home.
The auction was opened around 2pm on May 17 with a bid of £121,000 with the eventual winning bidder making an initial bid of £123,000 on Monday afternoon.
The chapel is also known as Capel Tom Nefyn Williams in memory of the poet and preacher.
The news that the building was sold to someone from outside the region angered local Plaid Cymru politicians.
Mabon ap Gwynfor MS and Liz Saville Roberts MP issued a joint statement.
They said: “Despite the tireless efforts of local campaigners, it is very disappointing that yet another historic building, rooted in the traditions of life in Pen Llyn has been prized from the grasp of the community and sold to the highest bidder.
“The Welsh Government has failed to address this crisis.
“Their apathy has allowed this to escalate to a point where communities face the perfect storm; a local housing crisis as demand for social housing outstrips supply, whilst the volume of second homes and buy-to-let properties spirals out of control.
“We urgently need greater legislative controls around the volume of houses that can transfer from primary homes to second homes or buy-to-let holiday accommodation.”
They also called for a Llyn-specific housing body, with a focus on providing local people with affordable, reliable homes.
“We as a community must explore all other options to help meet the housing needs of local people,” they added.
Auctioneer Marc Morrish, from Auction House, said: “I can confirm that Capel Bethania sold to a buyer from outside the region.
“But of course, whoever bought it, wherever they came from, they would only be able to use it for holiday accommodation – because that’s what the planning permission explicitly states.”