A HOTEL in Llandudno has been granted planning permission to be converted into apartments, despite its location within the town's tourism area.

The owners of Rosedene Hotel, on Arvon Avenue, had applied for a change of use from a guest house into four flats, though the three-storey Victorian hotel is situated within Llandudno’s Holiday Accommodation Zone.

This area is aimed at safeguarding the tourism sector by making it more difficult to take properties away from holiday use.

The hotel has been on the market with William Gleave Estate Agents since October 2017.

A marketing report, provided by Beresford Adams, shows that, despite an initial asking price of £410,000 set in May 2019, an offer of £360,000 was agreed in March 2021.

But that fell through after the buyer was unable to proceed with the purchase due to issues relating to commercial mortgage.

A report from Landsker Business Solutions Ltd found that: “it is clear from the projections that the business would not be sufficiently profitable to secure finance or to provide a sufficient return against capital if the property is bought out-right.

“As such, there is no reasonable prospect of the property being purchased for its extant use.

“Therefore, the report concludes that the existing business is not viable and should be released for other uses.”

Jamie Bradshaw, a director at chartered town planners Owen Devenport, who assisted with the application, said: “We were delighted to assist our client with this application, which involved some complex issues.

“We were able to demonstrate that there was no sound planning basis for retaining the current hotel use, bearing in mind the changing economics of the business and the local tourism market, and that, instead, it should be used to provide much-needed housing that will assist in addressing the shortfall in smaller properties in the area.”

The Conwy County Borough Council case officer’s report added: “The supporting information provided is sufficiently detailed and includes evidence relating to the extent of marketing undertaken.

“Given the extent of the information/evidence provided in the business appraisal, it is apparent that the guesthouse is no longer a viable business.

“(Conwy County Borough Council’s) Planning Policy team state that the planning support statement and marketing statement adequately set out the evidence and reasoning regarding the proposed change of use.

“On balance, the proposal is unlikely to cause a detrimental impact on the holiday accommodation zone.”