A semi-derelict farm cottage on Anglesey has been embroiled in a planning controversy due to its specified use, shocking those dreaming of a rural retreat beneath Holyhead Mountain with the discovery that it’s restricted to holiday let purposes.
Up for sale at £175,000, the former agricultural property Gors y Twr, Llaingoch lost its roof in a winter storm five years ago and was given the go-ahead for conversion into a three-bedroom holiday let in 2021.
However, potential buyers have been thwarted by the limitation, including one woman who was looking to reconnect with her roots. Taking to social media, she shared her frustration, saying: “I’m looking to buy a detached family home in the area – I grew up on the mountain – but I can’t afford to buy what I need anywhere. I can however afford this as a home renovation project. It would be a labour of love, where I grew up. Opportunities like that are rare.”
Gors y Twr is on the market for £175,000
(Image: CPD/Planning document)
She emphasized her disappointment further, saying how prohibitive clauses like this affect not only her but others in the community: “(It’s) perfect, except the clause for it to be sold as holiday let only. I’m just gutted that this has made it impossible, not just to me. I keep coming across so many restrictions on properties/land inhibiting local people from building genuine homes.”
Her post sparked a huge reaction on an island currently grappling with a severe housing crisis. In recent years, Anglesey has witnessed property prices skyrocketing to as much as eight times the average local salaries, severely impacting the ability of residents to purchase their own homes. See the latest Welsh homes as they come on the market, sign up to our newsletter here
The proliferation of holiday lets is being partly blamed for this upward trend. “What the hell? ” exclaimed one woman upon hearing about the Gors y Twr restriction, “And yet there are families almost on the homeless list because they can’t find permanent homes? ? Crazy!”
Similar occupancy restrictions apply to new-builds in areas like Brynteg and Porth Llechog (Bull Bay), reports North Wales Live. An Anglesey local voiced frustration: “There’s about a dozen new semi-detached homes built near me all on for a really reasonable price – every single one of them are sat empty and have been for months! Why? Because they can only be sold and used as holiday lets! The thing I don’t understand is there’s not even a market for them – people don’t want the holiday lets. So why not let locals buy them? It makes no sense to me!”
Gors y Twr, a property with a history stretching back 150 years and named after the marshland surrounding Holyhead Mountain (Mynydd Twr in Welsh), has been at the centre of a planning debate. The name ‘Gors y Twr’ translates to “marsh of the tower”, a nod to the Roman signalling tower once perched atop the mountain.
The former farm cottage comes with a “generous plot” that includes an attached shippon barn and yard, according to the property’s selling agents. Despite its worn appearance, a structural surveyor has deemed it relatively sound, having been well-maintained until recent gales necessitated the removal of part of its roof for safety.
The tumbledown farm cottage has been declared structurally sound
(Image: CPD/Planning document)
Inside the attached shippon barn
(Image: CPD/Planning document)
Despite the objections, Anglesey Council planning officers granted permission in May 2021 under delegated powers, attaching several conditions to the consent, including occupancy restrictions and a five-year deadline to complete the conversion.
Despite the local outcry against the council’s approval, it’s important to note that planning rules for such properties aren’t determined by Anglesey Council. When it comes to converting traditional rural buildings, the council must adhere to national policy as outlined in Planning Policy Wales.
A spokesperson for the council stated: “Despite the pressure to convert rural buildings for residential purposes, there is a presumption against this use locally and nationally, with economic use being favoured.”
“Rural diversification is important. Individual dwellings in the open countryside is not considered rural diversification and there are other policies to provide housing across Anglesey.”
“If the county council was to receive an application for residential use, the applicant would first need to demonstrate that employment use is not viable. Only then could it be converted into an affordable unit to meet a specific local demand. An open market dwelling would not be supported. Making use of dormant buildings reduces the need to develop on greenfield land.
“It conforms with the principle of sustainable development that is core to the JLDP strategy. Furthermore, finding suitable alternative uses for these buildings can contribute to supporting and enhancing the environment and the rural economy, together with protecting the traditional social fabric of rural areas.” For those interested in Gors y Twr, marketing details are available here.