Most people living in the village of Betws Y Coed know local farmer, William (Wil) Pierce. Wil is often to be found tending to his sheep or helping local people and businesses with repairs to rooves and other building work with his son Tarian, who is also a local firefighter. Wil has lived in Betws Y Coed all of his life, just like generations of his family, but next week he will be going to court after being told to vacate his caravan on Hendre Farm by Snowdonia National Park Authority. This will not only make Wil homeless, it will also take away his livelihood. 

We are asking the people of the village to support Wil’s right to stay on his own land, and also to build a small dwelling where he can continue to live to tend his sheep, and to remain on the farm that his family have farmed for generations.

Wil and his 4 brothers grew up on Hendre Farm and Wil moved with his wife and family – just next door to Bod Gwynedd in the 70s. When Wil and his wife separated some years later, Wil agreed with his brothers to retain a portion of the farm and campsite that they were in the process of selling, after getting a court order to sell Bod Gwynedd as part of the divorce settlement.

Wil planned to live on the land so he could still tend to his sheep and at that time purchased a caravan as a temporary measure before applying to build his own house.

Will pays Council Tax on his caravan and has done for 12 years, so Conwy County Council recognises this as a residential property but Snowdonia National Park Authority says that Wil has breached planning control by changing the use of his land from agriculture to mixed-use and say that his caravan does not meet permitted development that 'conserves and enhances the characteristic landscapes and features of Snowdonia National Park'.

Wil is a Master Builder and stonemason who is very familiar with the requirements of the Park, and has attempted to get planning permission to build a small bungalow in keeping with the Park's permitted development on 2 separate occasions and has been turned down because his land is not included in the Development Plan for Betws Y Coed, even though there were no objections from local people or from the Community Council. However, the neighbouring land (which had formerly been a campsite which the family managed) is now a site with static caravans. There are also plans to create affordable housing on some of the land that Wil leases for his sheep just behind his yard.

The Park seem to have adopted a different approach with the caravan park, having approved the erection of another caravan for a caretaker to live in when that same approval was not forthcoming for Wil for exactly the same purpose. It is very common for farmers to live in caravans for part of the year, particularly when lambing and in the winter and it is common for them to be onsite to protect their equipment / act as a caretaker. Wil can’t understand why the Park have agreed it in one instance and not in the other.

Although Wil is very supportive of local affordable housing being made available on the land that he currently leases for his sheep (which is behind the area that he occupies), it would seem unfair if planning permission were granted for that, when his applications for the same thing, have been turned down.

All Wil wants is the chance to provide his own affordable housing to enable him to continue to tend his sheep. If planning permission had been granted, Wil would have secure housing and would have addressed any concerns from the Park about his caravan not 'enhancing the landscape' and being a Master builder would have made sure that the bungalow would have been built with materials in a style sympathetic to the area – something which Wil specialises in.

Please support Wil. Sign the petition.