The Manchester company Natural Retreats have submitted a planning application to the Snowdonia National Park Authority for

Redevelopment of site including construction of 22 "Eco" type lodges (including 1 for site manager) for short term holiday accommodation, construction of reception and community building, construction of viewing shelter, change of use of former mine building into public information/interpretation building, and formation of car parking including landscaping and upgrading of existing tracks and public footpaths.

The application reference is NP5/60/6J and full details including all supporting documents (116Mbytes of them!) can be downloaded from the Planning section of the SNPA website http://www.eryri-npa.co.uk 

The closing date for comments to SNPA is 17th July 2008. I've not had a chance to look at the documents yet but I suspect this development would have a major impact on the above-ground features of the mine and to underground access.

Dave

I'm sure the SNP have changed the rules about building new caravan/holiday parks within their boundary. They may find it difficult.

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This has been going on for some time. If you go on the Natural retreats web site the projects on there.

What pissed me off last time I was there was that every 10 yards they have plastered signs saying private property keep out. Even though there is a foot path through the site!

The site is now clear and anything worth keeping or scrapping in the buildings are now gone.

I also made a bid for some of the kit a couple of years ago, but also found they wanted silly money for some bits.

... last time I was there was that every 10 yards they have plastered signs saying private property keep out. Even though there is a foot path through the site!

Is this a public right of way that has been closed and, if so, were there any notices giving information about an official closure?

The site is now clear and anything worth keeping or scrapping in the buildings are now gone.

Does this include the excavators etc. outside the mine that are shown in the photos accompanying the planning application?

Dave

I wouldn't say they closed the right off way, but they have locked the gate and made you feel that you cant continue on the foot path. I will dig a photo out later with all the signs.

Every thing is gone, this includes the excavators scrap cars you name it. The bore mill shed has been stripped and now stands empty both generators have gone. and the offices cleared.

I did here (and I cant confirm) that the buildings are due to be cleared away very shortly.

This was taken just after the place was initially cleared

🔗Personal-Album-4-Image-038[linkphoto]Personal-Album-4-Image-038[/linkphoto][/link]



As for closing a public footpath, this would appear to be yet another case of some person hiding behind the guise of a business name that instantly gives them 'power'
It takes over 2 years to get a road closure notice in place ( depending on the reason ) so i really cannot see a footpath suddenly not being a public right of way overnight. There are endless examples stemming from the ramblers who walk these paths just to prove the point.

This page deals with this especially questions 22 & 25

http://www.ramblers.org.uk/INFO/britain/footpathlaw.html 

There is even a link to a for that you can report it to RA on.

Good find John, there it is in plain English, unlawful activity at Gwynfynydd.
I wonder when they are going to rebuild the bridge, one suitable for taking the traffic caused by the building work. I have abseiled off this bridge and it does look very rotten underneath!!!

Stonking idea - a development of holiday chalets on a greenfield plot inside a National Park!

For all the "this is a brownfield site because it used to be a mine" nonsense, the rather simple fact is that the chalets for accommodation would be sited on land which is remote from the mine buildings and is currently a grassed area.

So... onto an undeveloped field in the middle of the National Park, someone is proposing to dump 22 chalets of a standard design, which is utterly at odds with the traditional building styles and materials of the area.

Under most circumstances, you'd think this scheme would be chucked out immediately, especially by the National Park authority, who will usually come round and demolish your new garden shed if they realise you've built it. However, the unique selling point of this scheme is that these are "Eco" lodges and therefore acceptable...

Now then... in my book, whether or not something is an "Eco" version of a holiday chalet is pretty irrelevant as a justification which can over-rule other problems: it's still a development on a site where there was no previous residential development, a 'greenfield' site if you will; and it's still totally out of character with the surroundings and traditions.

You simply can't ignore planing regulations and guidance just because something is environmentally friendly. Mind you, I wouldn't bet against this being approved... 😞

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The guys at the Tyn Y Groes will be happy - they just got turned down for a single field shelter for their pony... 22 flamin chalets there - I can't figure how you would even get 22 on there, let alone any space between them. Wouldnt they have to go through the usual 'contaminated land' clearance bulldust - there's that much sulphide under the mine compound they'd be there for years trying to neutralise it - one borehole would scupper them for life. I'm doing a barn conversion for a client in Telford, Shrops., at the moment which I think is old coal mine buildings - the shaft is about 20 feet from the front door. The environmental bulldust that we are having to do about contaminated land is just stupid - with a £150k budget, the client is seriously thinking about giving up - the surveys alone are costing £40k.... Has anyone seen the acid water deposits underground ?? I can post some photos of when John Daniels was working the place if you like - the walls of the stopes had bright orange fur all over them several inches thick....

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This is the company that now own the land.

http://www.naturalretreats.com/index.html 

I know they own a large plot of land. The mine is only taking up a small fraction of that plot.

I've been looking at maps of the area and am unable to find a public right of way. There is a "route with public access" which could well only be a permissive footpath. Best checked with the local Highways Authority...and check the small print! Revocation can be considerably easier in such cases.
The Bronaber holiday complex is not my favourite place and is a good example how such places establish and evolve.
Access, if this gets the yes, is going to be an issue for the lorries that will deliver the materials....or are they going to use locally harvested timber?
In a perverse way, I can see that this development could be "spun" so as to fit in with the present use of the area as a very popular tourist destination eg cycling!

There is a public foot path all the way up from Ferndale (to south of mine) and continuse past the mine to join a minor road near Bedd-y-coedwr (north east of mine). It is this path I think Simply is referring to.

But is that on the mine side or the forestry side of the river??

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Good find John, there it is in plain English, unlawful activity at Gwynfynydd.
I wonder when they are going to rebuild the bridge, one suitable for taking the traffic caused by the building work. I have abseiled off this bridge and it does look very rotten underneath!!!

I would imagine they would use the tarmac road from Bronaber as access.

But is that on the mine side or the forestry side of the river??

It runs in front of the mine buildings and the bottom adit, and then climbs up the hillside above Bedd y Coedwr mine on the Gwynfynydd side of the river.

Mmmm. in which case a few members should fill in the appropriate form and make the point that the mine area cannot be gated off...

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Sorry, I'm not being precise enough!
I'm using a 1998 1:25000 map. I've found Ferndale, from where the public right of way, basically, follows the W. bank of the river in a NE direction. There does not appear to be any public right of way, up, from the riverside path to the mines and levels adjoining the FC boundary to W-N.
There is, however, a route used by the public that bisects the mine site in a N/S direction from FC to FC land. It is this path that I suspect will be found to be permissive.
Any signage on/near the public right of way at the riverside that gives the impression that this is otherwise, is illegal as per the Ramblers' link.

This is an extract of the current layout, taken from the planning application:

🔗Gwynfynydd-Gold-Mine-User-Album-Image-042[linkphoto]Gwynfynydd-Gold-Mine-User-Album-Image-042[/linkphoto][/link]

The footpath is highlighted in blue: the red line indicates the site boundary that the planning application relates to.

This is what's proposed:

🔗Gwynfynydd-Gold-Mine-User-Album-Image-041[linkphoto]Gwynfynydd-Gold-Mine-User-Album-Image-041[/linkphoto][/link]

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Definitely - just got my old OS map out - it goes over the bridge and straight past the mine entrance back up to FC land - you've got them....

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