Affordable flats plans welcomed by city’s councillors

Plans to build 25 affordable flats in Bangor have been warmly welcomed by one of the city’s councillors after being awarded unanimous backing.

The housing association Adra, formerly known as Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd, had presented plans for the new units at the site of the former Railway Institute.

Meeting on Monday, members of Gwynedd Council’s Planning Committee followed the advice of officers and unanimously backed the plans for the currently empty site on Euston Road.

Just a stone’s throw away from the city centre, the institute was demolished in 2016 but has been described as already “overgrown and a local eyesore.”

232 people are currently on the waiting list for one or two bedroom properties in the Hendre ward, with 2,051 across the whole of the city.

Adra say that the flats will help clear that backlog and assist those having to pay the “bedroom tax” to downsize, with planning officers also of the opinion that the proposals would improve the visual appearance of the ‘dormant’ site.

Said to “greatly contribute towards the affordable housing needs of the city” due to being offered on a social rental basis, one of the city’s councillors described the plans as a major improvement on already approved proposals.

In 2017 plans for 48 student flats were approved for the very same site after developers were successful upon appeal, after being initially refused permission by Gwynedd Council.

Cllr Huw Wyn Jones, also a member of the planning committee, said: “I warmly welcome these plans which are much better for the people of Bangor than the 48 student rooms.

“I’d like to thank Adra for coming forward with such an excellent plan for community housing, fantastic.”

The institute was designed as a centre for rail workers to socialise, exercise and read, opened in 1898 by Lord Stalbridge, chairman of the London & North Western Railway.

15 of the apartments would contain one bedroom and another 10 to contain two.

“The site has been earmarked for redevelopment for a number of years,” noted the developers’ supporting statement.

“Taking account of this background, Adra decided that the site would be provide an opportunity for development to satisfy the need for affordable housing within Bangor.”

It is also proposed to include 13 car parking spaces while also formalising the car parking spaces already on Ffordd Euston.