Fears long delay to fix wall will impact hotel expansion plans

COUNTY LIABLE FOR WALL BUT HAS NO FUNDS ALLOCATED... AS COUNCILLOR WORRIES IT WILL ‘NEVER, EVER BE REPAIRED’

- By RICHARD EVANS Local Democracy Reporter

The Empire Hotel in Llandudno

A PROMINENT Llandudno four-star hotel can’t extend its business because Conwy County Council doesn’t have the money to fix a nearby wall.

Councillors expressed fear permanent repairs to the retaining wall will “never, ever” take place during a meeting of the authority’s finance and scrutiny committee.

Committee members met this week to discuss the proposed capital programme for 2026/2027. Included in the report were papers listing business cases for council assets, highways and schools in need of maintenance funding.

The list included funding needed for land adjacent to Llandudno’s Empire Hotel - which currently has no funds allocated for repairs.

Listed on a “league table” of Conwy’s 2026/2027 Capital Business Case Schedule, The Empire Hotel's retainer wall in Llandudno needs £1.25m of investment for repairs - for which the council is liable.

At the meeting councillors raised fears about health and safety and the damage being done to the town’s tourist industry.

The report states: “The Empire Hotel Retaining Wall, Llandudno, retains a link stepped footpath providing a safe route from the Orme down to the town.