Plans to demolish Snowdonia’s ‘eyesore’ Electric Mountain visitor centre approved

A landmark Snowdonia tourist attraction which deteriorated into an “eyesore” is set to be demolished and turned into a green community space.

Gwynedd Council planners this week approved an application to knock down the Electric Mountain visitor centre, also known as Oriel Eryri, in Llanberis.

The former tourist attraction on the banks of Llyn Padarn was previously used as a base for tours of Dinorwig Power Station.

It also had a community space, shop, information centre and cafe and hosted regular exhibitions and other events.

A decision over the site’s future was previously deferred after plans to replace it with a car park were met with opposition.

Community councillors raised concerns that the original car park plan would pose a threat to Gwynedd Council’s own income from car parks.

It came after the owners said the reopening of the former tourist attraction was no longer financially viable.

The First Hydro Company said the once popular visitor centre had been “under-used” and was “too large for the facilities accommodated inside.” The building was described as being too expensive to run and unsustainable.

In addition, the company said it was not in a position to offer opportunities for the public to visit the power station itself.

With no use for the centre, it warned that over time the building’s condition would deteriorate further.

The current condition of the structure was already said to be an eyesore within the local area.

Planning officer Idwal Jones told councillors the current proposal was for the “substantial demolition” of the visitor centre, except for the existing electricity sub-station.

The plans will see the site transformed to become a grassland area, with electric vehicle charging points to be created on the existing car park. The area of grassland itself will be used for community events.

A recommendation was made to delegate the rights to the senior planning officer to approve the application subject to a number of conditions.

They included a five-year time limit, implementing measures to mitigate the risk of flooding and ensuring bats roosting at the site are accommodated.

Speaking at the meeting, local member Councillor Kim Jones said she had no objection to the application.

She said: “The site will be grassland, not a carpark, I don’t object to it and I don’t think the rest of the community do either.”

Councillors agreed to the plan with ten votes in favour, one abstention and none against.

By Dale Spridgeon – Local Democracy Reporter