Surveyor not guilty after work on listed building

A LLANEGRYN surveyor has been cleared of unlawfully demolishing a listed cattle shed — after it was revealed that blundering planners failed to inform him it had protected status.

William Robert Charles Williams- Wynne, 67, of Peniarth — an expert on historical buildings — was found not guilty of carrying out works to a listed farm building at Glanmachlas, Llanegryn, between 1 and 5 June, 2010, contrary to Section 9 of the Planning Act 1990. The Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNPA) claimed that Williams-Wynne had demolished around 60 per cent of the former cattle shed.

The court heard that the building had been listed along with two other outbuildings and the farmhouse at Glanmachlas, by Cadw in 2000. Elen Owen, prosecuting, argued that, as other buildings were listed at the same time as Glanmachlas, Williams-Wynne must have been aware that the building was listed.

The prosecution also suggested that the building was not an imminent danger to the public and measures could have been taken to make it safe.

But Chris James, defending said that Williams-Wynne was not made aware of the listed status until January 2012 when a prospective buyer made enquiries about planning, and he was not formally notified by Gwynedd Council until 22 March, 2013.

Mr James said there was clear evidence in a letter of apology from Gwynedd Council that there had been a failure in notifying Williams- Wynne of the listing. The defence also argued that the building, which was listed in category one, the highest category on the at risk register, was an imminent danger to members of the public.

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