Council take action against owners of 'eyesore' building to ensure public safety

Gwynedd Council is taking action against the owners of an eyesore building to ensure public safety.

The council has issued a notice to the owners of the Corbett Arms in Tywyn to carry out necessary work to the building. This is due to the dilapidated and ruinous condition of the building, which is seriously detrimental to the amenities in the area.

This follows emergency work by the council’s building control officers in February 2023 under Section 78 of the Building Act to make safe loose ridge tiles and protect members of the public.

More recently, Gwynedd Council and Welsh Government officers have been working together to carry out the appropriate enforcement action, in forcing the owner to repair and restore elements of the building.

The condition of the listed building has been a concern to local residents for some time. A petition set-up in 2020 by Glyn Evans calling for the council to make a compulsory purchase order for the hotel.

This time last year, local resident Mike Clift said he would like to see hotel building return to its former glory.“I want it to be restored,” he said.

“It’s a listed building and it’s important to the town. It’s for the council to take action against the owner to get something done.”

He added: "The council’s lack of action has left the building to deteriorate to such a degree it is now becoming an eyesore."The council say they have made "every effort to urge the owners to carry out the necessary work". However as this has not led to the required work being carried out, the council has taken the step of issuing the Section 79 notice.

Martin Evans, building control manager at for the council, said: “As a council, we don’t take these kinds of actions lightly. But to ensure public safety, and to enforce the owner in taking action regarding the condition of the building, we feel there is no other option at this stage.

“It is unfortunate that things have come to this point, but property owners have a responsibility to make sure they take care of their buildings in the community.

“Before issuing a notice, officers make every effort to urge owners to complete the work required, engage with them to explain why the work is required and give time to complete it. But in this case, the owners have not undertaken the work and we had no option but to issue the enforcement notice.”

The owner will have six months to carry out the necessary work and has 21 days from the issue of the notice to appeal.