Demolition by Default: Why Gwynedd Council Could—and Should—Have Saved the Corbett Arms Hotel
By ConserveConnect Editorial Team | August 2025
The planned demolition of the Grade II-listed Corbett Arms Hotel in Tywyn has become a flashpoint—not just for heritage conservation, but for public accountability. Behind the crumbling masonry lies a deeper collapse: one of legal responsibility, enforcement failure, and planning integrity.
Recent reports by national heritage organisations, including SAVE Britain’s Heritage, have brought renewed scrutiny to the case. Their findings suggest not only that the building was saveable, but that Gwynedd Council failed to explore viable alternatives before proceeding with demolition plans (source).
Ownership Was Not Unknown—It Was Unused
Land Registry title WA623518 confirms that the Corbett Arms Hotel has been under the private freehold ownership of Helen Susan Holmes since her £325,300 purchase in August 2004. Though Ms Holmes died in March 2012, no subsequent title transfer has taken place. The property remains legally registered in her name.
While the absence of probate documentation creates uncertainty around the estate, it does not render the building ownerless. In such cases, local authorities are empowered to act under heritage and planning law through emergency works, compulsory purchase, or cost recovery from the estate.
As SAVE and other campaigners have noted, such ambiguity is precisely what statutory powers are designed to address—not avoid (source).
Documented Enforcement—but No Preservation
Between 2023 and 2025, Gwynedd Council took multiple actions acknowledging the hotel’s deteriorating condition. These included:
- Eight Section 78 notices under the Building Act 1984 (dangerous structures);
- Three Section 79 notices for ruinous or dilapidated conditions;
- Emergency works in February 2023 to remove loose ridge tiles;
- Closure of Corbett Square following structural collapses in January and February 2025;
- Installation of safety fencing and structural monitoring.
(Source: Gwynedd Council press releases)
Yet despite these acknowledgements, no repairs notice was issued under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Nor was any compulsory purchase process initiated. Instead, demolition was advanced.
This omission is significant. In May 2025, SAVE confirmed that Cadw had halted the council’s demolition plans pending a formal application for listed building consent—indicating that emergency powers were not sufficient to bypass the statutory heritage process (source).
The Demolition Proposal: Lack of Independent Oversight
Gwynedd Council’s demolition strategy was developed by John Evans Associates in conjunction with Wye Valley Demolition Ltd—the contractor proposed to carry out the work. Notably, no conservation-accredited engineer was commissioned by the council, and no peer-reviewed repair feasibility study was made public.
In contrast, SAVE commissioned an independent review by CARE-accredited structural engineer Jon Avent (C.Eng, MIStructE), who concluded:
“No credible consideration appears to have been given to repair or partial retention… The building is not beyond saving.”
(source)
Avent further warned that the partial deconstruction plan put forward by the council could create instability where none previously existed (source).
By relying solely on a contractor-led report without independent structural advice from a conservation perspective, Gwynedd Council exposed itself to a potential conflict of interest and failed to meet best-practice standards in heritage risk assessment.
Ownership Ambiguity Is Not a Legal Excuse
Even where estate administration is incomplete, local authorities retain extensive powers under heritage and planning law. These include:
- Undertaking urgent works on listed buildings (Planning (LBCA) Act 1990, s.54);
- Serving repairs notices (s.48);
- Applying for compulsory purchase (s.47);
- Engaging with the Crown Estate in bona vacantia cases;
- Partnering with Building Preservation Trusts for asset rescue.
Gwynedd Council’s own actions—issuing Section 78 and 79 notices—confirm its awareness of risk and capacity to act. To cite ownership ambiguity as a barrier, while simultaneously using enforcement legislation, is a contradiction.
Who Benefits from the Council’s Inaction?
| Party | Likely Benefit |
|---|---|
| John Evans Associates / Wye Valley Demolition | Advisory and demolition contract income |
| Estate of Ms Holmes (if active) | Relief from liability; potential land value uplift post-clearance |
| Future developers | Redevelopment opportunity in a prime location |
| Gwynedd Council (short-term) | Reduced liability without pursuing long-term stewardship |
A Precedent That Threatens More Than One Building
The Corbett Arms Hotel was not beyond repair. Independent experts have said so. The law provided multiple routes for intervention. Ownership was traceable. Enforcement had already begun.
What appears to have been missing was a commitment to preservation.
This case risks setting a dangerous precedent: that where ownership is unclear, heritage protection becomes optional. That enforcement can stop at paperwork. That demolition can be framed as inevitable without ever seriously considering alternatives.
In August 2025, national heritage charities—including SAVE, Historic Buildings & Places, the Victorian Society, and the Council for British Archaeology—jointly urged Welsh Ministers to “call in” the council’s demolition application for public inquiry (source).
This level of scrutiny should not be exceptional. It should be the standard.
Because this isn’t just about one building. It’s about whether listed status in Wales still confers meaningful protection—and whether councils are willing to uphold it.
Disclaimer:
This article reflects public interest commentary based on publicly available records, Land Registry data, council statements, and independent expert reports. No inference of wrongdoing is made unless explicitly stated. All commentary is offered in good faith for the purposes of transparency and civic scrutiny.