The Supreme Court has rejected a planning appeal to build 401 houses on Hillside Park in Aberdyfi.

The news has been welcomed by Dwyfor Meirionnydd’s MP and MS.

Liz Saville Roberts MP and Mabon ap Gwynfor MS released a joint statement calling the decision “a victory for common sense”, adding it “reflects the overwhelming opposition from within the local community to this completely unsuitable historic planning application, brought back to life by unscrupulous developers looking to make a quick buck”.

“There was collective local agreement from the outset - nobody wanted to see the hillside above Aberdyfi disappearing under bricks and mortar, simply to satisfy the greedy pockets of developers with no real grasp of local housing needs,” the statement added.

“The application, had it been granted, would have actively undermined the interests of the local community, the consequences of which would be far reaching. The houses were earmarked as open market properties that families in the area simply wouldn’t be able to afford.

“We welcome the Supreme Court’s ruling. There was nothing in the application that would have fulfilled local demand – the houses earmarked for the site were not planned with local people in mind. This was nothing more than a profit-making exercise.

“We pay tribute to the residents of Aberdyfi who, with steadfast support from the community council, ran an energised campaign against this proposal. Today’s ruling is a reflection of their determination to uphold the collective views of local people and puts to bed once and for all, months of worry and speculation.”

The court was asked to settle a decades-long dispute over the building of 401 houses in Snowdonia National Park at Aberdyfi.

The then Merioneth County Council granted planning permission for the houses on Balkan Hill in 1967.

Gwynedd Council became the relevant local planning authority in 1974. In 1987, it argued in the High Court that the 1967 permission had lapsed. The court rejected that, deciding the development could still lawfully be completed.

Snowdonia National Park Authority became the relevant local planning authority in 1996. In 2019, Hillside Parks Ltd, which now owns the site, brought a claim against Snowdonia to ascertain whether the development could still lawfully be completed. The authority argued it could not and the High Court and Court of Appeal agreed, leaving the Supreme Court to make the final decision.