Hotel Plan for Former Conwy HQ Faces Scrutiny from Local Planners

Hey, you won’t believe this local story. Planners looked at turning an old HQ into a hotel. It used to belong to GM Jones, a builder. They built it in Llanrwst back in 2018. They even got money from the Wales Economic Fund.

Sadly, the company failed in early 2019. The Parc Ty Gwyn site stayed empty for three years. Pharma Group Holdings took over the properties in 2022. They are based in Conwy, so it’s nearby.

Pharma Group fixed up the site a little bit. They now use part of the offices and the warehouse. They didn’t need all of the office building, so they wanted to rent the unused space out. Sadly, it’s been tough finding someone to rent it.

So, Pharma Group wants a hotel instead. They think it will help the town. They say it’s good for Wales’s economy too. This is a big focus right now.

But, the local council doesn’t like this plan. Officials want to protect the area for specific business types. These include storage, offices, or light industry. It will be difficult to change these rules and they said the site could still work as an office.

The marketing information just isn’t good enough. This means there aren’t good reasons to change it. The plan doesn’t show exceptional needs.

Plus, they aren’t sure the hotel will make money. The business plan doesn’t prove it. The council will vote on this plan on Wednesday too. It’s going to be a debate.