More self-build enquiries after approval of Aberdaron houses

Could building your own home be a solution in areas where people say they are struggling with rising property prices?

This is the hope of residents like Mirain Llŷn Roberts, a native of Aberdaron in Gwynedd, whose family still lives with her parents.

There are calls to make it easier to build your own homes to enable young people to stay in the places where they grew up.

Approval has been granted for five building plots for affordable homes on the outskirts of the village. where the council spoke of a “major housing crisis” – although the authorities had initially recommended rejection.

But council members Cyngor Gwynedd rejected this proposal and called for further political changes.

The authorities wanted to reject the proposal for the Llŷn Peninsula because they expressed concerns about the “detrimental impact on the local landscape” and possible “urban sprawl onto undeveloped land in the open countryside”.

The local authority said it is currently working on a new development plan, which will include an assessment of housing needs, identifying potential building sites and possibly creating more land for self-build.

Mrs Roberts wants to stay in the village, which faces the same problems as many other rural areas in Wales: Second homes and house prices unaffordable for locals.

She now hopes to build on one of the five properties and create a permanent home for her family.

“This is a golden opportunity – especially for local Welsh-speaking young people,” she said.

“Without us, there would be no community left in villages like Aberdaron.

“Look at Abersoch: the primary school has had to close because young people are being displaced from their own villages and communities.

“This is the fate that awaits small villages like Aberdaron if there are no plans to build affordable housing that will enable us to stay and keep the language alive.”

“If you look around, there are hardly any people my age who have been able to stay – we are being displaced and people are having to move to bigger towns like Pwllheli or Caernarfon.

“We don’t need rental housing; we need condominiums so we can live here permanently and build a lasting community.”

Local councillor Gareth Williams described the current policy as “flawed” and said more developments of this kind should be encouraged.

“It is incomprehensible to me how we as a council can recommend rejecting such an application given the current situation,” said Williams.

“We are facing a housing crisis here on the Llŷn Peninsula and our young people are being priced out of the market.

“We receive a lot of applications from large companies wanting to build housing developments in our rural areas but I don’t think this meets the real need, particularly when the average house price is over £370,000.

“It’s applications like these that really meet that need, aren’t they?”

“Our young people have no hope – they are moving away and we are losing our communities,” added Mr Williams.

“We are seeing declining enrollment in our schools. What could be better than, in this case, five local families settling down, their children attending the local school and the community thriving?

“There’s nothing wrong with renting, but it’s not for everyone, is it? For most people, the goal is to eventually own their own home, but unfortunately these opportunities are becoming increasingly rare.”

The Council stated that the application was initially accompanied by a “lack of detailed information”, but after a reassessment the recommendation was changed and it was adopted.

“As a council, we are committed to ensuring that the people of Gwynedd have access to decent and affordable housing in their communities.

“There are planning policies in place to ensure an appropriate mix of housing in suitable locations within the Gwynedd Planning Authority’s area of ​​responsibility.”

The council expressed the hope of being able to provide more land for home construction in the coming years.