Latest news with #Conwy
Wales Online
5 hours ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Controversial apartments development gets go-ahead despite 'unaffordable' fear
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A controversial multi-million pound apartment development in Deganwy has been approved by Conwy Council's planning committee - despite objections from residents and concerns raised by several councillors. Planning officers had recommended approval for the plans, which will see a new 19-flat apartment building constructed on the corner of Station Road, York Road, and Back York Road. The application, submitted by Simon Garantini, involves demolishing the existing buildings at 1–3 Station Road to make way for the new development. The proposed building will measure 15.80 metres in height, 38.81 metres in width, and 27.08 metres in depth. The site is currently occupied by Robertson Geologging Ltd and is located opposite the Grade-II listed former Deganwy Castle Hotel in a predominantly residential area with some nearby commercial properties. Conwy 's planning department received 15 objections from members of the public, with concerns raised over the height of the proposed building, its impact on the character of the area, and a perceived lack of parking. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox. Conwy's planning committee met this week at the council's Coed Pella HQ to debate the application. Several councillors objected to the development, arguing the applicant needed to provide affordable housing or make a financial contribution to the community. Cllr David Carr suggested the flats would be unaffordable to most locals, would not help the council's housing problem, and would likely end up as holiday homes. But planning officers advised the committee affordable housing was "unviable" at the site due to market value and explained that consequently a 106 agreement in the form of community contributions was not viable either in an area that was repeatedly described at the meeting as 'affluent'. Cllr Anthony Bertola spoke in favour of the application. "I'm looking at the positive side of this, because Deganwy is an affluent area,' he said. 'There are lots of businesses there that could do with the footfall. It'll be good for tourism. It'll be good for homes. I know we are looking at the Welsh language and affordable housing - I get that - but I think there is an opportunity here, because it is a bit of an eyesore, the area as it is, anyway, so anything that is going to be upgraded, I'm all for it, and I know Deganwy is a nice area anyway.' He added: 'I'm looking at the positive side of it, but I understand people's feelings about contributions and the Welsh language, but I can't really see how that's going to affect the fact we're getting something that is quite attractively designed architecturally and is in keeping with the area.' Cllr Bertola proposed councillors voted in favour of the proposal, and this was seconded by Cllr Kay Redhead. Nine councillors voted in favour of the planning application with two against and two abstentions. Public notices in your area
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Residents could finally get better access to train station that's bears village's name
While it bears the name of Dolgarrog - the Conwy Valley station has never really been particularly accessible to people in the village. The station is situated on the opposite side of the Afon Conwy from Dolgarrog with a rough and sometimes boggy track also in the way. This contributed to it serving just 612 passengers in 2017/18 - the lowest of any station in Wales that year. The situation was compounded in 2021 when the pipe bridge over the river closed to the public due to concerns over its condition. There were fears it would never reopen. But a campaign was launched, backed by Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders and others, to get a crossing back. This eventually secured funding of £1.2m from Dwr Cymru and a £735,000 Welsh Government grant for Conwy County Borough Council to restore the bridge. READ MORE: Desperate attempts were made to save campervan swamped by sea at Gwynedd beach READ MORE: When will A55 Conwy Tunnels reopen after devastating fire This was reopened in 2023 and passenger numbers rose to just over 2,000 in 2023/24. But the paths from the village mean it's still not exactly a convenient option for locals or tourists wanting to use the Conwy Valley Line. Now though Conwy council has secured additional Welsh Government active travel funds for improvements to the existing Public Rights of Way, which connects Dolgarrog Railway Station to the B5106. The works are to be undertaken this financial year. The Local Authority is currently working on access agreements with interested landowners and will be aiming to undertake a public engagement exercise soon. Once the access agreements are in place, they will push forward with a procurement and construction phase programme. This would improve the path that emerges near the former Lord Newborough pub on the B5106. There are hopes that more money in the future could develop a link to Clark Street, which comes out in the centre of the village. MS Janet Finch-Saunders said: "Since the horrendous decision by Welsh Water to permanently close Dolgarrog Bridge, I have been pleased to lead the group of stakeholders who have succeeded to convince the water company to make a massive U-turn, and secure a £1.9m investment. 'As part of that stakeholder group it was a pleasure to work with representatives of both Dolgarrog Community Council and Conwy County Borough Council. By working together we have delivered for our community. "In fact, I have kept up the pressure and am delighted that funding has been secured to build an active travel route between Dolgarrog and the railway station this financial year. A special thanks goes to the Local Authority officials who submitted the application and are working on the plans going forward. 'Whilst my understanding is that this phase of the development will see the route reach Dolgarrog by the old Lord Newborough pub, there remains and ambition to develop a route along Clark Street in the future, but that would require further funding. 'The most import point of all is that the bridge, which following our united community campaign, Welsh Water has thankfully invested significantly in, will now have high standard accessible paths leading to it. This is excellent news." Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
BBC News
a day ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
Conwy A55 tunnel vehicle fire triggers major incident
Emergency services have declared a major incident after a vehicle caught fire in a are attending the incident in the Conwy Tunnel on the A55, North Wales Fire and Rescue Service said on Thursday."We're working with multi-agency partners to control the fire, protect the environment and re-open the tunnel as soon as its safe to do so," the fire service tunnel is expected to be closed in both directions for some time and anyone living nearby should close windows and doors, they added.
The Sun
a day ago
- Science
- The Sun
Mysterious ‘alien-like' sea creature that can devour prey 3 TIMES its size is found on UK beach
BEACHGOERS are being warned to be on the lookout for a mysterious "alien-like" creature after one was discovered on a UK beach. "Sea mice" are marine worms with a furry appearance that are unlike anything else in the sea and can grow up to six inches long. A dog walker found one of the strange critters recently on a beach in Wales. They are active predators, hunting small crabs and other worms on the seabed – but are often washed ashore. It comes after beachgoers were urged not to pick up cone snails' shells as their venom can cause instant paralysis or even death. While they are not typically harmful to humans, "sea mice", which get their scientific name from Aphrodite, the Greek Goddess of Love, have sharp bristles that can cause irritation if they pierce the skin. Simon Parker recently discovered one of the creatures on a Welsh beach prompting discussion on social media due to its curious appearance. Compared by many to a fossil and even an " alien", the sighting has left many admitting that they had never seen anything quite like it. Simon was left flabbergasted after discovering one of the six-inch long creatures at Pensarn Beach, Conwy, and turned to tech to determine exactly what it was. Uncertain of its identity and intrigued by its green-flashing fringe he used Google Lens to determine it was a sea mouse. "I found it at the water's edge just after low tide," he told Wales Online. "Unfortunately it didn't appear to be alive. The sea mouse was approximately five or six inches long with brightly coloured bristles down the sides." Sea mice are not a rare species but their sightings are infrequent, often being washed ashore during stormy weather or left behind by exceptionally low tides. Another of them was located in March on Oxwich beach in Swansea. Mum shares urgent warning for summer beach trips with kids as pal's left in hospital following massive allergic reaction The Wildlife Trusts say the sea mouse is "unlike anything else in the sea". Despite its potential to reach 20cm in length and 6cm in width this intriguing find is in fact a type of marine worm. Although it has a tendency to bury itself head-first in the sand this creature boasts a remarkable set of skills. Its spines typically have a deep red sheen, serving as a warning to potential predators. However when exposed to light, they flash blue, green, and gold, giving the worm a dazzling, iridescent appearance. This phenomenon, known as pseudo-birefringence, is the only known example of "photonic engineering" in nature, says the WT. The spines process light with nearly 100% efficiency – a necessity in the dimly-lit depths of the sea. Some researchers believe that this unique ability could lead to the development of new communication technologies. Beauty and the beast While this creature is technically a marine worm, it is believed that the name "sea mouse" originated from its resemblance to a bedraggled mouse when washed up on shore. Its Latin name, Aphrodita aculeata, is equally peculiar. While aculeata translates to "spiny" the genus name Aphrodita refers to the ancient Greek Goddess of Love – allegedly due to the worm's resemblance to female genitalia. The sea mouse is an active predator that feeds on small crabs and other worms and is capable of consuming prey over three times its own body length. Every now and then they can be seen wriggling across the sand – a sight that invariably unnerves beachgoers.
BBC News
4 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Conwy: Artificial reef aims to bring wild oysters back
Wild Oysters are set to be introduced into Conwy Bay after an almost two-year delay was brought to an end by a succession of University have been given permission to proceed to the final stage of the project and "reseed" a 660-tonne artificial Matthew Forbes said the project would "finally move towards completion" with the first distribution run set to take place on oysters, once a major part of Wales's fishing industry, have been in decline as a result of over-fishing, changes in water quality, and disease. It was first reported in July 2023 that Bangor University was working with the Zoological Society of London to reintroduce wild oysters into the Council's Harbour Advisory Committee met this week for an update on the at the meeting, harbourmaster Matthew Forbes said the reef was initially "above the marine licensed permitted height"."Over the last couple of years, storms have knocked the reef height down," he Forbes said Natural Resources Wales had agreed the project could now move forward and 76 bags of oysters were ready to be distributed. Meeting chairwoman Joan Vaughan said it would be "lovely" to have oysters in the River Conwy. Native oysters used to be found around Conwy in large numbers but have virtually disappeared in recent beds were a common sight in the Menai Strait and around Wild Oysters Project website said they were a "vital food source" for coastal communities and "contributed" to the Welsh Mumbles or 'Oystermouth' fishery was the largest in Wales supporting 400 fishers across 188 boats. In the mid-1800s Welsh oyster boats reported landing 8,000 oysters daily, but up to 15,000 to 20,000 oysters in some efforts to reintroduce the shellfish in Wales follow a pattern of declining numbers in other parts of the UK.A wildlife project on the East Yorkshire coast is testing a new breeding technique to reintroduce 500,000 native European flat oysters over the next five was also mooted that oysters could return to the Thames as part of an effort to clean London's rivers last year.
