Cartrefi Conwy advances Abergele project
Replacing the derelict Bee Hotel with a college building is proposed as the initial phase of the developer’s Western Gateway, plans for which are now with Conwy Council.
Satplan and John McCall Architects are working with registered social landlord Cartrefi Conwy and college organisation Grwp Llandrillo Menai, on the project.
The professional team also includes Highways Advice, Caulmert, and Enfys Ecology.
This is proposed as phase one of a three-stage masterplan also taking in the redevelopment of the Slaters motor dealership site.
As set out by Satplan in the application form, the hotel building has been derelict since 2017 and has required three interventions to secure its structure.
Although an educational future is in the offing for the site, a condition of grant funding is that the building be BREEAM Excellent and net zero, making retrofit unviable in the extreme.
The proposed college building would be around 9,100 sq ft, slightly smaller than the existing pub/hotel’s footprint of 10,700 sq ft.
Grwp Llandrillo Menai, an umbrella organisation made up of Coleg Menai, Coleg Llandrillo and Coleg Meirion-Dwyfor, is looking for a new central Abergele base to replace space on Faenol Avenue, where its lease expires next summer.
The proposed site would house a base for adult learning, and create a centre of excellence for teaching British Sign Language.
Co-applicant Cartrefi Conwy is a residential developer that has been working across North Wales since 2008. The firm took over ownership of the Bee site in 2019 as it looks to deliver a mixed-use development across the Abergele Western Gateway.
Although it is stressed in the application’s design & access statement that all images including the future phases are indicative only, they offer a broad view of the intent to deliver phase two as a residential conversion of the existing outbuildings and stables.
Phase three would be a community hub building. Some park space is envisaged as a meanwhile use on these plots while phase one is being developed.
You can view the plans on Conwy Council’s planning portal with the reference 0/52328.
