The go-ahead has been given for nine new homes to be built in Bala, despite objections.

Housing association Adra got the go-ahead to build the social housing with parking spaces at Cysgod y Coleg, at a meeting of the Snowdonia National Park Authority.

There were objections from the local council though, about the loss of an informal play area and local councillors also questioned the demand for two-bedroom homes in the town.

Dilwyn Morgan, county councillor for Bala, also said that he had reservations about the planning application because of “issues with traffic in that housing estate already, the loss of the play area, and they haven’t actually proven to me that there is a local need”.

He added: “The houses would be at the end of the estate so all the traffic for the houses would have to go through parts of the estate where there are a lot of children. And also if there are going to be one to two-bedroom houses, it they are going to be for elderly people it will be miles away from the centre of town. There are issues that haven’t really been discussed with the community.”

But the plans, for three two-bedroomed bungalows and six two-bedroom houses, were defended by Adra, who said that there were many families waiting for two-bedroom homes in Bala.

The supporting statement, accompanying the application, noted: “Following recent changes to the benefits system, several tenants are suffering financially due to the ‘bedroom tax’ as they are under full occupancy.

“Of the 97 houses Adra (formerly CCG) manages, none are two-bedroom, therefore families who wish to move to a smaller home have limited options."

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