PENRHOS COASTAL PARK

An exceptional history, a sustainable future

From a thriving farm estate to the home of the biggest industrial employer in
North Wales, Penrhos Coastal Park has supported Ynys Môn’s communities and
economic prosperity for centuries.

We believe that with a credible and sustainable plan in place, Penrhos can
continue to be a place for local people and visitors to benefit from and enjoy for
many more years to come.

RESPONSIBLE
OWNERSHIP

METICULOUS PLANNING

INCOME GENERATION

A PLACE TO ENJOY FOR THE LONG TERM

RESPONSIBLE OWNERSHIP

In 2016, following extensive consultation with the Isle of Anglesey County Council,
Land & Lakes acquired the Penrhos Coastal Park with planning consent to develop
a leisure village. The planning consent includes additional leisure accommodation
at the adjacent Cae Glas* site, and 320 new homes at nearby Kingsland*, 50% of
which will be made available for local people as affordable homes.

METICULOUS PLANNING

The planning application for the Penrhos Leisure Village was one of the most
complex and highly researched planning submissions ever considered in Wales.
The development will be carefully interwoven with the existing landscape,
including the woodlands and natural features of the park.

INCOME GENERATION TO SUPPORT PUBLIC ACCESS

With associated costs of £200,000 a year, Penrhos needs a significant sustainable
income to support public access. A carefully delivered development on part of
the site will deliver the sustainable income stream needed to ensure that the
Penrhos Coastal Park can continue to remain publicly accessible for the long term.

Did you know?

The entirety of Penrhos Coastal Park is privately owned. Public access to Penrhos Coastal Park,
and funding of the associated costs, is an obligation of the planning approval for the Penrhos
Leisure Village.

WHAT WILL THE DEVELOPMENT DELIVER
FOR LOCAL PEOPLE?

MORE PUBLIC ACCESS

The new development will increase the total area of publicly accessible land by 30%.  At Penrhos Coastal Park, 73 acres will be preserved for the public to enjoy. With new access to an additional 100 acres at Cae Glas Nature Reserve, the total area available for the public will be 173 acres.

BETTER AMENITIES

Visitors to Penrhos can expect improved facilities and amenities. There will be a new visitor centre, new public toilets, and new beachside cafés and restaurants for everybody to enjoy. All new buildings will be highly sustainable, built to BREEAM Excellent Standard.

JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES

The Penrhos Leisure Village could create up to 600 jobs across the Penrhos and the Cae Glas sites, with local people and Welsh language speakers prioritised. As a year-round operation and visitor
destination, the leisure village will provide a large percentage of permanent year-round jobs.

PUBLIC ACCESS AREAS

The proposed development will uphold the following standards:

Careful preservation of the natural and historic environment

Minimal disruption to wildlife and vegetation, with preservation of existing woodlands a priority

Eco-design which is sympathetically interwoven with the natural landscape

Did you know?

There is a public right of way along the coastal path, and a public cycleway to the SW corner of the park. All other access to Penrhos Coastal Park is granted and supported by the landowner, Land & Lakes.

THE JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABILITY

For hundreds of years, the Penrhos Estate employed generations of people from the Holyhead area and generated a significant income as a busy farming estate. Activity revolved around beef cattle farming, and the estate was renowned for its prize-winning bulls.

More recently, Penrhos has been home to the Anglesey Aluminium Metals factory. With 540 employees it was one of the biggest industrial employers in North Wales. Up until its closure in 2009, Anglesey Aluminium Metals produced up to 142,000 tonnes of aluminium every year. For many decades, the Penrhos plant was the biggest single user of electricity (255 MW) in the United Kingdom. 

We believe that a more sustainable and environmentally friendly future lies ahead. A carefully delivered leisure village scheme will safeguard public access to this beautiful part of the world, whilst rejuvenating local communities and promoting sustainable economic viability for generations to come.

SUSTAINABLE TOURISM AND LOCAL PROSPERITY

As the biggest economic sector on the island, tourism contributes significantly to local prosperity and quality of life on Ynys Môn. It generates more than £360m for the island’s economy, directly supporting more than 3,600 jobs*. Hundreds of local businesses rely on visitor spending on the island.

There is, however, an underlying fragility to the economy of Ynys Môn, which is characterised by higher-than-average levels of unemployment and social deprivation. The availability of affordable housing has been impacted by the exponential growth in holiday rentals and AirBnBs, and consequently, many young people are leaving the island to look elsewhere for employment and affordable housing.

Penrhos Leisure Village will help to address some of these fragilities in the local economy. As a year-round operation and visitor destination, the leisure village will provide a large percentage of permanent year-round jobs.

A proactive recruitment strategy will prioritise local people and Welsh language speakers. As well as on-site employment and training opportunities, the associated increase in visitor spend will support home-grown businesses on Ynys Môn including local artisans, retailers, cafés, restaurants, pubs, adventure and activity providers.

*Figures from Isle of Anglesey County Council Destination Management Plan 2023

A SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION TO PUBLIC ACCESS

Why does this matter?

  • Car Parks
  • Public Toilets
  • Woodland management
  • Footpath maintenance & repair
  • Refuse removal
  • Fly tipping management
  • Anti-social behaviour

In 2022 management costs to support public access at Penrhos totalled more than £200,000, a figure expected to be required on an annual basis.

Penrhos Coastal Park needs a significant and sustainable income to cover its costs. Otherwise, footpaths, car parks, woodlands and toilets would fall into disrepair and become uninsurable and unusable. The proposed Penrhos Leisure Village scheme will deliver a sustainable income stream to ensure that footpaths and woodlands can be well maintained and remain accessible to the public for the long term.

A note on planning

An effective start to the development at Penrhos was made in 2021, which means the planning permission for the site is now held in perpetuity. Full-scale development has been paused as we wait for the current challenges in the UK economy to ease. Further updates will be made available in 2024.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

Please take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions to find out more about the holiday village development, and how it will impact Penrhos and Ynys Môn.