More than a decade after the demolition of the “Alice in Wonderland” hotel in Llandudno the developer still says the site is under review.
Penmorfa was built on the West Shore in the 1860s for the family of Alice Liddell, who author Lewis Carroll is said to have written Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
The site later became Gogarth Abbey Hotel before being demolished by Anwyl Construction in 2008 to make way for apartments.
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Planning permission was secured for an apartments development but nothing has been built on the site.
In January Anwyl said it is due to start consultations on amended proposals ahead of putting in a new planning application this summer.
But the sector has since been hit with a spike in the cost of supplies - as well as shortages for some products.
The developer says while they remain committed to developing the site that there was a need to keep it under review at this time to ensure any scheme is “viable”.
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But Aberconwy MS Janet Finch-Saunders has questioned why they are pushing on to try to secure planning for homes
Phil Dolan, managing director for Anwyl Homes Cheshire and North Wales, said: “We remain committed to ensuring this site in Penmorfa is developed.
“Due to the ongoing impact of Covid on build costs and our supply chain, there is a need to keep all sites under review to ensure they are viable to develop at the right time.
“This is particularly important for apartment developments which require substantial financial resource and many specialist contractors and suppliers due to their bespoke nature.
“Options for this site remain under regular review and we remain committed to the long-term future of the Penmorfa site.”
But Mrs Finch-Saunders said: “I was in firm opposition to the demolition of this wonderful building, now over a decade ago, along with many other local residents. The Gogarth Abbey Hotel was an iconic part of the Llandudno landscape and remains a great loss to our historical heritage.
“To have now taken such a backwards step in the plans for this location is a smack in the face to those residents who hold legitimate concerns about Anwyl’s proposed development of the Bodafon Fields/Nant y Gamar Road contingency site, showing a complete disregard for the wishes of local residents.
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“As I said in a speech to the Senedd just last month, I remain clear that sites which have long been allocated for development must always be built on before any contingency comes into play. This is why I feel that the repurposing of the Gogarth site should be progressed and approved before any developers should consider the contingency site which borders the Bodafon green wedge.
“Continued inaction on this development means that the location remains a sorry scar on the landscape, failing to address the need for affordable and quality housing across the region.
"I urge Anwyl to rethink its plans for our area, asking them to bring forward proposals that will be very sensitive and sympathetic to the historical heritage of the location.”