Roadside proposal on key North Wales tourism route that 'lacks facilities'

The A487 Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass
-Credit: (Image: Ian Cooper/North Wales Live)


A roadside proposal on a key tourism route that 'lacks facilities' has been submitted. The £139m Caernarfon bypass was opened in 2022.

The link from the Goat roundabout on the A499/A487 junction to the Plas Menai roundabout at Felinheli opened up the route down to the Llyn Peninsula and Meirionydd. Since it opened there have been calls for additional roadside facilities on the route.

This has actually seen two proposals put forward. An application was submitted earlier this year for land next to the Pwllheli Road junction. This included a petrol filling station, electric vehicle hub, and retail kiosk.

READ MORE: The east/west split when it comes to 20mph in North Wales

READ MORE: Beaches and marinas in Gwynedd could become off-limits to public in Crown Estate stand-off

Now a proposal has been put in to Cyngor Gwynedd for land close to the Meifod roundabout and new bypass. It has been scaled back from the original scheme consulted on which included a petrol filling station and two proposed drive thru food/beverage units.

The application now includes rest and refuelling facilities for motorists and HGVs, an ancillary sales unit with public toilet facilities and rapid speed EV charging facilities.

The application is from Malcolm Brymer - with JMS Planning and Development acting as agent. It is not known if the area could support both developments or if they will now go head-to-head.

JMS said: "The development of a new service station and associated facilities along the A487 strategic road network will provide an essential roadside infrastructure in an area which significantly lacks such facilities. The proposal and its location is justified throughout this statement and is considered to be of significant merit, providing added value to the users of the strategic road network."

The development would create 15 long terms roles and other jobs during the construction period.

A planning statement added: "It provides rest and refuelling facilities for motorists, including tourists, in an area which is currently lacking such facilities. It provides valuable new investment and local job creation (circa 15 full/part time jobs).

"The bypass CPO justification identified the immediately adjacent roundabout to be the busiest on the route with a calculated daily vehicular volume of 21,000 vehicles daily and predicted to substantially increase. It was identified as being the only roundabout on the newly constructed section of road that will have the Tourist route signs (brown signs) for route off the bypass into the tourist town of Caernarfon."

It will now be considered by planners at Cyngor Gwynedd.