Dale Spridgeon

Anglesey County Council is considering an application by Steve Blackthorn to convert an agricultural barn and former chicken coop near Amlwch into a wedding and function venue for up to 60 guests. The proposal includes a modest extension for toilets and storage, a private treatment plant, and limited weekend operations intended to control noise, traffic and disruption. The applicant says the venue could attract 30 to 50 bookings a year, support local businesses and boost tourism, while the site lies about 700 metres from the protected Mynydd Parys area.

Welsh emergency departments recorded more than 104,000 attendances in July 2026, the highest monthly total on record, averaging 3,357 visits per day. Health and Care Cabinet Minister Mabon ap Gwynfor acknowledged that too many patients are waiting excessively long for care and said overall waiting-time performance is far below acceptable levels. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in North Wales had the highest proportion of waits longer than 12 hours. The Welsh Government has announced an additional £145 million for the NHS and plans to publish a new strategy aimed at reducing waiting lists, improving access and easing pressure on staff.

A £654,000 Welsh Government grant will help fund Cyngor Gwynedd’s Connecting Storiel project in central Bangor. The scheme will transform the public spaces around Storiel museum and gallery with amphitheatre-style seating, landscaping, improved accessibility, upgraded café seating and new lighting for events and community activities. It is intended to strengthen a cultural corridor linking Bangor Cathedral, the library, Storiel and Pontio. Additional support came from the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund, with construction targeted for completion by spring 2027.

Eryri National Park planners have received an application to build an outdoor classroom at Ysgol Penmachno near Betws-y-Coed. The Welsh-medium primary school, which has about 40 pupils, says the facility would support nature-based education, environmental awareness and sustainability. The proposed structure would be located behind the playing fields and designed to fit the school and National Park surroundings while avoiding impacts on nearby Grade II-listed terrace houses.

A Gwynedd community group is urging the council to postpone its planned closure of Welsh-medium primary school Ysgol Nebo and assess converting it into a specialist additional-learning-needs facility. The school is scheduled to close on December 31, 2026, with pupils transferring to Ysgol Llanllyfni, following concerns about falling enrolment, surplus capacity and rising costs. The group says the council’s consultation report did not properly evaluate the alternative despite more than 70 objections and two public meetings. Cyngor Gwynedd will consider an objection report before making a final decision in September.

Cyngor Gwynedd has broadly welcomed UK Government proposals to give councils and police greater powers to tackle unwanted businesses, betting shops, suspected criminal enterprises and anti-social-behaviour hotspots on Welsh high streets. The council says its Trading Standards department has already secured two closure orders and taken action over illegal vapes and tobacco sales to children, counterfeit toys and nuisance behaviour. It plans to review the proposed legal changes and continue working with North Wales Police, while urging consumers not to support illicit trading.

Cyngor Gwynedd has approved listed building consent to convert the upper floors of No. 7 Castle Square in Caernarfon into two flats: a two-bedroom apartment and a one-bedroom apartment. The Grade II listed building forms part of a Georgian terrace overlooking Y Maes and is considered historically and aesthetically significant, although its interior has largely lost its original features. The plans retain the existing staircases and make no visible changes to the building’s exterior, with the proposal described as a sustainable use for a long-unused space and a response to demand for housing in Caernarfon.

Jon Paul Taylor won the Bro'r Llynnoedd seat on Anglesey County Council for Plaid Cymru with 555 votes, defeating Reform UK candidate Richard John Jones, who received 446. Taylor succeeds his grandfather, Ken Taylor, who died suddenly in May, making the victory emotionally bittersweet. The youngest councillor on the council, Taylor said he wants to continue representing local residents while focusing particularly on opportunities, guidance and support for young people. Plaid Cymru MP Llinos Medi congratulated him, while local council leaders paid tribute to Ken Taylor's service.

Two Anglesey caravan parks have submitted planning applications seeking to expand their touring pitch capacity and improve facilities. Llanfair Bach Campsite near Holyhead is seeking seven additional pitches, increasing its total from seven to 14, while Glan y Gors in Llanfaelog is seeking 13 touring pitches alongside five certified pitches, plus a toilet and shower block and a sewage treatment plant. The applicants say the proposals would support long-term financial viability, sustainable rural tourism and improved visitor services, with both applications now being considered by Anglesey County Council.

Cyngor Gwynedd approved plans to convert the vacant Grade II listed building at 201 High Street in Bangor into seven-bed hotel-style serviced accommodation. The proposal includes internal and external alterations, shared facilities, guest bedrooms across four levels, and no on-site parking. The development is intended to preserve and restore the deteriorating Georgian property while bringing it back into active use; visitors are expected to use nearby public transport and short-stay car parks.

Cyngor Gwynedd is considering plans to convert the former Crown Buildings at Penrallt in Caernarfon, locally nicknamed “Alcatraz,” into affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom homes and a housing support hub. The proposal includes accessible units, 24-hour staff presence, secure gardens, a children’s play area and retained office space. The site, purchased by the council in 2024, has a long history including the former Pavilion building and its later use as government offices.

Anglesey Council is considering plans to refurbish and reorganize Plas Arthur Leisure Centre in Llangefni, which opened in 1972. The proposals would convert the ground-floor youth centre into a café, incorporate the existing first-floor café into the leisure centre, relocate the main entrance, and add soft play, reception, toilets and other improvements. External upgrades include new windows, doors, glazing treatments and further façade work. The council expects the redevelopment, undertaken with Alliance Leisure Services, to improve visitor experience, increase community use and support sustainable revenue growth.

Anglesey County Council has approved plans to restore and convert the disused 19th-century Tabor Independent Chapel in Holyhead into a sustainable two-bedroom holiday let. The accommodation will include an open-plan kitchen and living area, eco-friendly heating and a traditional Welsh cottage-style design. The chapel, which has been unused since 2003, offers views of Holyhead Port and the Eryri mountains and is intended to attract walkers and tourists visiting Anglesey and North Wales.

Cyngor Gwynedd has approved Ed Harmer’s plans to convert a vacant, deteriorating rubble-stone barn near Mur Mawr in Llanberis into a two-bedroom short-term holiday let. The proposal aims to preserve the traditional building, provide self-catering tourist accommodation and generate local income and employment, with views of Moel Eilio and Yr Wyddfa.

Plans are under consideration for a seasonal eco-glamping development at Rhosgadfan in Gwynedd, featuring five lightweight tipi units, a timber-clad amenities building, an informal parking area and a communal orchard. The proposal aims to provide low-impact tourist accommodation that supports the rural economy and integrates with the landscape. Tipis would operate from March to October and be dismantled for winter storage. Cyngor Gwynedd will review the full planning application for the change of land use.

Gwynedd residents are urged to give final feedback on a proposed visitor levy before the consultation closes on July 26, 2026. The levy, authorised under Welsh law, would allow councils to charge nightly fees on various forms of holiday accommodation, with set rates and several exemptions. Supporters cite potential funding for tourism improvements, while critics fear negative impacts on the local tourism industry. Cyngor Gwynedd seeks public input to guide councillors’ decision-making.

Anglesey Council leaders urged the Welsh Government to prioritise a third Menai Strait crossing, citing repeated closures and congestion on the existing Menai Suspension and Britannia bridges. They warned that ongoing disruption affects residents, emergency access and the regional economy, including future projects such as the Anglesey Freeport and planned Gwyndod nuclear facility. Councillors stressed that the government must deliver long‑promised improvements and called for clearer communication and collaboration with agencies to establish a long‑term, resilient transport solution for the island.

Repeated closures of the Menai Bridge have caused major social and economic disruption for Anglesey and North Wales, prompting Anglesey County Council to renew calls for a third crossing. A council report highlights severe congestion, impacts on tourism, and risks to regional connectivity while noting the current bridge has exceeded its expected lifespan. Officials welcome the Welsh Government’s recent commitment to explore detailed options for a new crossing, arguing it is essential for the area’s long-term resilience and economic future.

Anglesey Council recorded sixty-one fraud allegations in 2025–26, mostly related to revenue issues such as undeclared second homes, council tax evasion and failures to disclose information on social housing applications. Five cases were confirmed as fraud or error, and several investigations resulted in new or backdated council tax charges, including premiums for second homes. Social housing tenancy fraud accounted for nine allegations, with one case valued at £42,000. Twenty-five cases were closed as unfounded and ten due to insufficient evidence, while twenty remained under review at year’s end.

An internal audit revealed that two supply teachers in Anglesey were working with expired DBS and Education Workforce Council renewals, highlighting gaps in safer‑recruitment procedures. Major issues identified included inconsistent renewal checks, limited induction evidence, and unclear escalation processes for supply staff. The council has agreed to an action plan expected to be completed by late 2026, with progress monitored and reported back to the Governance and Audit Committee. Committee members voiced concern over the lapse, while education officials stated measures are being developed to create automated renewal alerts and strengthen safeguarding controls.