Grant could be last chance to stop mansion sale

A historic mansion which was going to be sold due to running costs could be saved if a National Lottery Heritage Fund is granted.

Plas Tan y Bwlch, a 30-bedroom listed building near Blaenau Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, was built in the 19th Century for the wealthy Oakeley family, who owned slate quarries nearby.

Residents had protested the planned sale of the grade II-listed building in the heart of Eryri National Park as they were concerned they would lose access to the woodland and paths.

Proposals to sell the site have now been paused while the park authority explores ways of retaining the building as its new headquarters.

Securing a grant of between £5m and £10m could safeguard the future of the mansion and land but members of the park authority said if the proposal failed they would be forced to sell.

A park authority report said on Wednesday it could take until 2028 for full funding to be granted, but it should know within a year if its bid is likely to succeed.

Jonathan Cawley, chief executive of the authority, said: "Should we fail at any stage of the Lottery Grant process, the authority will have no option left other than to sell Plas."

His report said if the authority did have to sell the property, "the authority should retain control of the woodlands and Llyn Mair - whatever decision is made on Plas Tan y Bwlch".

Currently the building is "more expensive" to run than the park authority's Penrhyndeudraeth headquarters, but this could change if there was a way to make Plas Tan y Bwlch more energy efficient.

As well as transforming the historic mansion into the authority's new headquarters, it is hoped the building could also be used as a "mixed-use site" for community, education, retail, café, and open garden uses.

If funding is secured, the work required is estimated to take between 18 months and two years to complete.