Holiday homes court ruling won't apply in National Park

RESIDENTS WHO HELPED FUND SUCCESSFUL CHALLENGE TO GWYNEDD POLICY DISMAYED TO FIND SEPARATE CASE NEEDED

- By ANDREW FORGRAVE

A MAJOR legal victory over a holiday home policy in Gwynedd has left some residents unexpectedly distressed by the outcome.

Last week Cyngor Gwynedd lost a legal challenge against a planning measure designed to restrict the number of second homes and holiday lets in the county.

Hundreds of people donated to a judicial appeal launched in 2023, raising £73,000 across three crowdfunding campaigns. This was brought by a nominated resident, Enlli Williams, who claimed the council's cabinet was misled when it introduced an Article 4 Direction (A4D).

This regulatory tool required homeowners to get planning permission to turn a residential property into a second home or holiday let. It was brought in as part of efforts to address housing shortages in the county.

Last week, a High Court judge ruled Gwynedd's A4D decision-making process was "reached on a false basis". The verdict was a major victory for the People of Gwynedd Against Article 4 (PGA4) campaign group. Its members had argued the county's A4D would devalue homes and make properties harder to sell.

Many of the campaign's financial contributors were from Eryri National Park (Snowdonia). To their dismay, they have now discovered the High Court ruling won't apply to their properties.

As Eryri has its own planning regime, the national park authority has confirmed its own A4D is unaffected and will continue to apply. The authority said its decision-making and confirmation process was separate from Cyngor Gwynedd's procedures.

An authority spokesperson said: "The entire process leading up to the implementation of the Article 4 Direction in the Eryri National Park area was independent from that of Gwynedd Council's. The Court's decision has no bearing on the Article 4 Direction made within Eryri."