A FORMER Meirionnydd church could be turned into a private home after plans were submitted to Gwynedd Council planners.

A bid has been presented to turn the former Bethany English Presbyterian Church on College Green, Tywyn, into a private dwelling – although the exterior will remain largely intact.

First recorded on the First Edition Ordnance Survey map of 1889 as a Presbyterian Chapel (English), the church is thought to have been built in 1871 and designed in a Gothic style by architect William Henry Spaull of Oswestry.

The last service was held at the church in 2016, and it was later placed on the market with an asking price of £99,950.

Tywyn Town Council has expressed no objection to the proposals, which have been submitted by a couple currently based in Newtown, Powys.

Part of the planning submission by Mr and Mrs Taylor, notes: “The proposal concerns the change of use of a redundant former church building.

“The applicant, a current resident of Newtown, has been forced to accept a compulsory purchase order in respect to their current main residence, owing to route of the by-pass currently being constructed around Newtown and therefore plan to relocate to Tywyn.

“As a result of the data and conclusions reached in the Language Impact Assessment dated March 2016 prepared in relation to the Joint Development Plan for Gwynedd and Ynys Môn, it is our opinion that the conversion of the single building to form a full-time main residence would have a neutral impact on the balance of Welsh/English speakers in Tywyn and will not lead to a decline in Welsh speakers given the nature of the building being re-developed.”

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Gwynedd Council’s planning department will discuss the application over the coming months.