The green light given to a £6m hotel for Porthmadog which will create 30 jobs has been described as a “vote of confidence in the town”.

On Monday, Gwynedd Council’s planning committee unanimously approved proposals to knock down the former tax office and replace it with an 80-bedroom Premier Inn.

The development, which is set to create 30 jobs, was given the go-ahead after councillors were convinced of the economic benefits it would bring.

This was despite concerns that the proposed 56 on-site parking spaces would not be enough.

Sioned Edwards, speaking on behalf of the applicants, told the meeting in Caernarfon that Premier Inn had been surveying sites in Porthmadog for several years, with the £6m investment set to create new jobs which will support the Welsh language locally.

Adding that there is only one other chain hotel in Porthmadog, she said that they expected the new development to raise the profile of the town and attract more visitors.

There was further general agreement that the development would represent a visual improvement on the approach into town, with Ty Moelwyn currently empty after the relocation of the Government’s only Welsh-speaking tax office.

As a result, all 13 members agreed unanimously to follow the recommendation of officer and to grant approval.

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