A HISTORIC Conwy church and schoolhouse could be converted into holiday accommodation.

Bob Curry, of VJC Holiday Properties Ltd, has applied to Conwy County Council’s planning department, seeking permission for a change of use of Carmel Welsh Presbyterian Church on Chapel Street.

The church is a Grade II-listed building within the town walls of the World Heritage Site and a stone’s throw away from Plas Mawr, one of the UK’s finest Elizabethan town houses.

Concerns have been raised about the proposal.

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According to the application, Mr Curry wants to develop both the church’s interior and exterior and demolish at least part of the existing building, although the area he wishes to remove is not part of the original structure.

The development won’t create any jobs, and the application stated that neighbours had been consulted.

Despite this, resident Fu Lian Doble was unhappy about the plans.

In a letter to the council, she said: “Firstly, I am a long-term resident of Conwy, living just a few doors down from the chapel.

“Parking is already constantly a massive problem.

“The road is already incredibly tight, and residents find it hard to find parking for all their vehicles.

“Furthermore, if this plan was to be seen through, this is dangerous as ambulances and emergency vehicles would not be able to get up.

“We already have difficulty with the bins trying to come up or large 4X4 vehicles.

“As you will see from the planning application details, the people making these plans lack the lived experience that the residents on the street have in terms of parking – after all being based in Essex.

“I fail to see why the council do not act knowledge how detrimental more holidays are to the local economy.

“I suggest the council advocates for tourists to stay at hotels such as the Castle Hotel.

“Services like Airbnb are illegal in Singapore because, with an area of 743.3km and a population of more than 5.4m, they recognize that importance of providing housing for their civilians as a priority whilst balancing the economy benefit of tourism.”

She added: “Lastly, I urge the council to remember the importance of community.

“As seen from online discourse, local events are incredibly important for fostering togetherness as well as keeping Welsh culture and history alive.

“Streets in which only two houses are home to locals whilst the rest are empty in winter are not a model the council should be advocating for.”

The application will likely be debated by Conwy Council’s planning committee at a future meeting.