Stop Press

[Hugo]

Thanks very much for that information Meleri, it's always interesting to know the reasons for what is going on in the town

[SteveH]

CONWY County Borough Council's headquarters has been listed on RightMove.

Grade II listed Bodlondeb, in Conwy on Bangor Road, is being marketed by Avison Young (UK) Limited, Hotels. Price is on Application.

The local authority is selling the historic building, which includes an original Victorian house dating from 1877 and a "sympathetic" 1990s extension, in a bid to make money from the property.

The council hope to attract interest from a hotel or a care home. It could also be used for residential purposes.

cont https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk/news/24201061.conwys-councils-bodlondeb-headquarters-listed-rightmove/

link to Rightmove site... https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/86795250#/?channel=COM_BUY

[SteveH]

Alan Bates, who inspired the ITV drama which sparked huge interest in the Post Office scandal, has arrived at Aldwych House.

He is a former sub-postmaster who led the campaign to expose the injustice. Bates founded the Justice For Subpostmasters Alliance (JFSA) and, alongside five others, took the Post Office to the High Court.

Bates will give evidence to Post Office Horizon IT inquiry as part of phases five and six of the probe, which will look at governance and how the Post Office responded to the scandal.

Live report.......  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-68767646

[SteveH]

Flood maps show how Llandudno could be sea-swamped without swift action

After a decade of planning and debate, work on new coastal defences are due to start this year

Work on Llandudno’s upgraded sea defences will start later this year, once the summer season is over, Conwy Council has confirmed. The resort’s vulnerability to flooding has long been recognised but agreeing the designs for new protections has taken the best part of a decade.

The process became mired in public debate over the loss of sand from North Shore beach and the unwillingness of the Welsh Government to fund its replacement. Fearful at the potential loss of central funding, the local authority opted for a non-sand option.

Full article plus maps................ https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/flood-maps-show-how-llandudno-29275084?IYA-reg=49560bcd-5a9c-47f0-8fc5-ba2e71710589

[Ian]

Hmm...

The great flood of 1993 left Llandudno with severe flooding. It was caused by a combination of heavy rain, a high tide and antiquated sewers

I wonder if that's wilful ignorance or do they actually practice?  I was on the Orme the day that happened and the cause was blatantly obvious: the Marine drive acted as a gutter, helpfully channelling the extremely heavy rain into the town. In Florida, where heavy rains are not rare, they simply cut massive slots into walls, so the water has an immediate release. It was 5" of rain that fell on the Orme in just over two hours, and if it couldn't get to the sea, then it went into the town. No new sewers would have helped if there was a 'high tide' either; just about the only thing they got right in that report was the high rainfall.

[Hugo]

It's a good job that the Great Orme was made up of porous Limestone as a lot of the water was absorbed by the Copper mines and cavern systems on it or otherwise the situation in Llandudno could have been a lot worse
In addition to the Marine Drive water came down the Great Orme at an alarming rate and went down Old Road straight in to the town centre as this old video depicts
I was interested to read this article in the report   
"Before then, West Shore was vulnerable to the kind of incursions now being envisaged in the future. “In the 1920s the area used to flood quite frequently,” said one resident online. “I remember my mother saying that the water travelled down Gloddaeth Avenue and nearly met with flood water from the North Shore.”
If I'm not mistaken, that quote was mine and taken from the Three Towns Forum   
Yes, the West Shore did get flooded in those days and that's because the sea defence there wasn't built until about 1952.    In the following 70 years the sea wall was never breached.   Not by water anyway but by sand after the "experts"  constructed a second sea defence in 1993 and that caused  catastrophic damage to the West Shore by the wind blown sand
That proposed increase in height of the sea defence by 300mm   ( 12 inches to an old duffer like me )  seems like a joke but perhaps the marine experts in CCBC  will be third time lucky and get it right       

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlIJ3vmlcP4

[SteveH]

I live in a vulnerable area, and have always been concerned about flooding, mostly from West Shore and North Shore, I have never considered having to take the Orme into consideration, very informative reading both the above comments, I would be interested to know the route taken by this flood water.

[Ian]

Once the Orme had channelled the water into town, the water simply obeyed the laws of  gravity - which meant either shore. However, many of the hotels and houses had subterranean lower floors which lacked drainage when the tides exceeded a certain level.

But sea level rises are quite different to the rain we had in 1993; better drainage around the Orme would have alleviated the worst effects of that. However, the sheer tonnage of rain over a short period would have led to flooding, beyond doubt. One thing that worries climatologists is the increase in severe weather. You tube has plenty of videos showing the US under ice and snow at the moment. Mainly due to huge thunderstorms.

[SteveH]

Ian, thanks for the information, I think !

[SteveH]

A body has been found in the search for TV and radio presenter Michael Mosley on the Greek island of Symi, a rescue worker has told the BBC.

The 67-year-old, known for his TV programmes and BBC Radio 4's Just One Thing podcast, vanished on Wednesday while on holiday.

Authorities have been searching for Dr Mosley in a remote mountainous area.

He went missing on Wednesday after leaving his wife on Agios Nikolaos beach to set off on a walk about 13:30 local time (11:30 BST).

His wife later reported Dr Mosley, who was without his phone, missing.

The body - which has yet to be formally identified - was found at a small cliff on a rocky hill north-east of the village of Pedi, near Agia Marina beach.

A police source told BBC News the deceased had been dead "for a number of days".

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kk9gvw8l0o

[SteveH]

The wife of TV and radio presenter Dr Michael Mosley has paid tribute to her husband after his body was found, following four days of searching on the Greek island of Symi.

"It’s devastating to have lost Michael, my wonderful, funny, kind and brilliant husband," Dr Clare Bailey Mosley said in a statement confirming his death.

She said her husband took the wrong route and collapsed.

The 67-year-old went missing on Wednesday after setting off on a walk from Agios Nikolaos beach.

cont https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0kk9gvw8l0o

[Hugo]

North Wales developer on land hunt as plans to hike home building by 50%
Anwyl Group has secured a new £82m credit facility to back their ambitious proposals.    There is a prime plot of land in the West Shore at Llandudno that might be suitable.   It has remained unused since 2008 when the former hotel Penmorfa was demolished !



https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/north-wales-developer-land-hunt-29336257

[SteveH]

I agree Hugo, but I am thinking ,.................be careful what we wish for.

[Hugo]

You're right Steve about being careful what we wish for.      The only viable option for a developer after paying 2.2 million pounds for the site would be an apartment complex with about  100  apartments but I've come up with a brand new idea.
Why not build a hotel on the site !           

[Robert2020]

The hotel Penmorfa site is within the Llandudno conservation area and should any development take place it will need the approval of Conwy Council Conservation Officer .

However having seen the Conservation Document the Westshore area is lacking in what should be preserved.  Thus the council can and do get away with their own version of what conservation means to the area.

The conservation document is more detailed for  the dual carriageway, Northshore promenade and out towards the little orme and so council have to adhere to it.

I've attached the conservation document if anybody would like to look at it.