Y PENDERFYNIAD TERFYNOL PARTHED Y DDEISEB I ACHUB COLEG HARLECH FEL SEFYDLIAD ADDYSGIADOL AR GYFER DOSBARTH GWEITHIOL CYMRU., THE FINAL DECISION IN REGARDS TO THE COLEG HARLECH PETITION

Please note: the English version of the report will follow the Cymraeg version.

Trafodwyd y ddeiseb gan Bwyllgor Deisebau Llywodraeth Cymru ar y 1af o Dachwedd, a hynny am ddau funud cyfan! Dyma oedd y penderfyniad terfynol:

"Nododd y Pwyllgor fod yr adeilad wedi cael ei werthu, a mynegodd y gobaith y gall y perchnogion newydd weithio gydag ymgyrchwyr i ddatblygu'r safle er budd y gymuned. Nododd y Cadeirydd angerdd y deisebwyr a oedd wedi ysgrifennu i gefnogi'r ddeiseb. Gan hynny, cytunodd i ddiolch i’r deisebwyr a chau’r ddeiseb"

Fel dilyniant,  derbyniais llythyr oddi wrth Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor, Jack Sargeant, fel a ganlyn:

24 Tachwedd 2021 

Annwyl Ms Ifan         

Deiseb P-05-1130 Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ail-brynu ac adnewyddu Coleg Harlech 

Fel y gwyddoch, ystyriodd y Pwyllgor Deisebau eich deiseb yn ei gyfarfod ar 1 Tachwedd.  

Yng ngoleuni'r ffaith bod yr adeilad wedi'i werthu, mynegodd yr Aelodau y gobaith y gall y perchnogion newydd weithio gydag ymgyrchwyr i ddatblygu'r safle er budd y gymuned. Oherwydd hyn, cytunodd y Pwyllgor i gau'r ddeiseb.  

Mae rhagor o wybodaeth am y ddeiseb, gan gynnwys gohebiaeth gysylltiedig, ar gael ar ein gwefan yn:

 https://busnes.senedd.cymru/ieIssueDetails.aspx?IId=35453&Opt=3. 

Hoffwn fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch ichi am gyflwyno’r ddeiseb, ac i bawb a ysgrifennodd at y Pwyllgor yn mynegi eu cefnogaeth i'r ddeiseb. Hoffwn hefyd ddymuno’r gorau ichi am y dyfodol. 

Yn gywir  

 Jack Sargeant AS 

Cadeirydd   

Felly, ymddengys gellir ddim gwneud mwy i achub Coleg Harlech  fel safle addysgiadol ar gyfer dosbarth gweithiol Cymru, collwyd y cyfle i bob pwrpas yn ôl yn 2017 pan gyhoeddwyd fod y Coleg i gau. Gellir gofyn sut na fu yna brotestio ffyrnig i rhwystro'r cau gan gyn fyfyrwyr a phobl lleol fel ag y bu pan gyhoeddwyd for Neuadd Panycelyn yn Aberystwyth i gau ond, dyna fo, bu ddim protestio o unrhyw fath ac oherwydd, mae'r trysor enfawr yma, y coleg unigryw yma, yr unig o'i fath yng Nghymru wedi ei golli ynghŷd â chyfleoedd dibrisiadwy i ddosbarth gweithiol Cymru i dderbyn addysg ac hyfforddiant mewn sgiliau a fyddai o fudd mawr i dyfodol Cymru a'r byd.

Y cyfan sydd ar ôl i'w wneud rwan yw diolch o waelod calon i bob un o'r 6,666 a arwyddodd y ddeiseb i adfer y Coleg ar gyfer defnydd y dosbarth gweithiol Cymreig ac er i'r ddeiseb gael ei lawnsio yn rhy hwyr i achub y Coleg, dangoswyd i Lywodraeth Cymru a'r byd fod yna gefnogaeth cryf i'r alwad.

Erbyn hyn, gwyddys bod y Coleg, ynghŷd â Theatr Ardudwy, wedi eu gwerthu eto, i gyfreithiwr o'r enw Nigel Bowen-Morris sydd a chyfeiriad busnes yn Llundain ond sy'n byw yn wlad Groeg ac, yn garedig iawn, mae'r Cynghorydd Gwynfor Owen wedi gyrru copi o'r cynlluniau sydd gan y perchennog newydd ar gyfer y safle i fi ac, er na'r cynlluniau yma oeddem wedi ei ddymuno ar gyfer dyfodol y Coleg, ar y cyfan, os gwireddir y cynlluniau i'w llawn potential, ymddengys, o leiaf, bydd y safle a'r adeiladau yn cael eu hadfer a'u defnyddio er budd lles yr economi leol. Amser a ddengys a bydd gofyn i ni gyd gadw ein llygaid ar y bel y tro yma, yn arbennig gan bod yna'r fwriad i gynnwys 'deg fflat gwyliau moethus fel rhan o'r prosiect ac yn arbennig gan fod Mr Bowen Morris am gyflwyno ceisiadau am arian o'r pwrs cyhoeddus ar gyfer pob rhan o'r prosiect.  

Y newyddion diweddaraf yw bod yna waith cynnal a chadw trwyadl yn cymryd lle ar ac o gwmpas y theatr, Wern Fawr a mannau eraill o gwmpas y coleg a bod yna gynlluniau pendant yn cymryd lle i ddefnyddio'r theatr yn y dyfodol agos. Gweler isod ( yn dilyn y fersiwn Saesneg o'r cyflwyniad yma) y Cynlluniau ar gyfer y safle a'r adeiladau. 

Un elfen arall pwysig iawn o'r saga yma i gadw golwg arno wrth gwrs yw tŵr y Neuadd Preswyl sydd mewn cyflwr truenus a pheryglus dros ben. Prynwyd y Neuadd Preswyl ynghŷd â Gwesty Dewi Sant gan y cwmni cyfalafol Aitchison Associates sydd a'u swyddfa yn Gilbralter. Wedi blynyddoedd o wneud 'dim' â Gwesty Dewi Sant, gofodwyd i  Awdurdod Barc Cenedlaethol Eryri ddymchwel yr adeilad ar gost i'r trethdalwr ac mae Prif Weithredwr Awdurdod y Parc wedi cadarnhau nad yw'r gost o ddymchwel yr adeilad ddim wedi ei dalu'n ôl hyd heddiw!   

Mae'n fwy nag amlwg erbyn hyn nad oes gan Cwmni Aitchison Associates unrhyw fwriad i wneud 'dim' â'r Neuadd Preswyl ac maent yn eistedd yn ôl unwaith eto nes gorfodir Awdurdod Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri i gyflawni'r gwaith o'i ddychwel ar gost i'r trethdalwr - a bydd y swm o wneud hynny y tro yma yn mynd i filiwnau gan fod asbestos yn yr adeilad! Unwaith bydd y gwaith yma wedi ei gyflawni, bydd cwmni Aitchison Associates yn eistedd ar ffortiwn rhwng y ddau safle! 

 Fel ag mae'n sefyll, mae Cyngor Gwynedd wedi gorfod troedio i mewn i ddiogelu's safle rhag trespaswyr gan ei fod yn beryglus ac rydym ni, fel grŵp gweithredu, wedi bod yn erfyn ar yr Awdurdod, ynghyd a Chyngor Gwynedd a Llywodraeth Cymru i brynu'r adeilad yn ôl a'i adfer ar gyfer ddibenion lleol. Unwaith eto, ymddengys bod y cyrff yma AM WNEUD DIM! felly, mae gofyn i ni gyd gadw llygaid barcud ar y sefylla i sicrhau nad oes miliwnau mwy o arian y trethdalwr yn cael ei ddefnyddio i ddymchwel yr adeilad i'r diben o lenwi croc aur Aitchinson Associates. 

https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/article.cfm?id=136985&headline=Council%20steps%20in%20to%20protect%20former%20college%20residential%20tower%20block&sectionIs=news&searchyear=2021

Does dim mwy allem ni, fel Grŵp Gweithredu ei wneud i achub y Coleg fel sefydliad addysgiadol ar gyfer y dosbarth gweithiol ond mae'n ddyletswydd ar ein gwleidyddion i sicrhau na fydd y 'fflatiau gwyliau moethus' yn gweld golau dydd os fydd hynny'n mynd yn erbyn y polisiau newydd ar gyfer tai gwyliau mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi addo. Yn hytrach, gellir adnewyddu ac addasu Wern Fawr yn gyfangwbl fel canolfan i hyfforddi sgiliau ar gyfer y gwacter sy'n bodoli yn y Gwasanaeth Iechyd ynghŷd â sgiliau eraill fydd yn wirioneddol eu hangen ar gyfer dyfodol Cymru a'r byd.   

FROM THIS POINT ON, ENGLISH TRANSLATION OF THE ABOVE FOLLOWS ANT THE POST ENDS WITH THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR THE THEATRE AND COLEG HARLECH SITE AS I RECIEVED IT.

The petition was discussed on the 1st of November by the Petitions Commitee - and that for two whole minutes! Jack Seargeant, the Chairman of the Committee did open the debate by noting that a number of impassioned letters of support for the Coleg had been received and that they had provided him with very 'informative' and 'entertaining' reading for the weekend and then the decision to close the petition was made as follows.

 "The Committee noted that the building has been sold on, and expressed the hope that  the new owners can work with campaigners to develop the site, for the benefit of the community. The Chair noted the passion of petitioners who had written in support of the petition. The Committee agreed to thank the petitioners and close the petition"

i recieved the following letter from the Chairman:.   

24 November 2021 

Dear Ms Ifan 

Petition P-05-1130 The Welsh Government should re-purchase and refurbish Coleg Harlech 

As you will be aware, the Petitions Committee considered your petition most recently at our meeting on 1 November.  

In light of the fact that the building has been sold on, members expressed the hope that the new owners can work with campaigners to develop the site for the benefit of the Community. As such, the Committee agreed that to close the petition.  

he full details of the Committee’s consideration of the petition, including the corresondence and the actions agreed by the Committee can be found here: https://business.senedd.wales/ieIssueDetails.aspx?IId=35453&Opt=3. 

I would like to take this opportunity to pass on our thanks to you for bringing forward this petition and to all those who wrote to the Committee expressing their support for the petition. I’d also like to wish you all the very best for the future. 

Yours sincerely  

 Jack Sargeant MS 

So sadly, it seems that we can do no more to save Coleg Harlech as a full time educational and skill teaching college for the working class of Cymru, to all extent and purposes, the Coleg's fate was decided when it was allowed to be initially sold back in 2017! This unique educational establishment for mature students, the only one of its kind in Cymru was allowed to close and its treasures stripped and sold without any opposition, no fierce protest and no sit in by ex students or by the local community which had depended on it for employment since 1927! SHAME, SHAME, SHAME! 

Th opportunity has been lost to save an unique treasure of an establishment  that, with some effort, could and should have been saved to continue with its work of provision of education and skill training that, in turn, would have benefited the economy of a future Cymru and the world.. all that is left for us as a group to do now is to thank the 6,666 signators of the petition. Unfortunately, the petition was launched too late to save the college due to the fact that I did not learn of its fate until I visited Harlech last summer but, the large number of signatures on it showed the Welsh Government and the world clearly, that enough people cared enough about this unique establishment to with it to be saved.

The latest news is that the Coleg and Theatre Ardudwy have been sold again to a Mr Nigel Bowen - Morris, a solicitor that has a business address in London but who resides in Greece. Mr Bowen- Morris has ambitious but sound plans for the site and has, from the onset, presented himself as being eager to work with the local community. Cllr Gwynfor Owen, the local councillor for the area has, very kindly, sent me a copy of Mr Bowen's development plan which I shall include at the end of this post. 

Although this new Development plan is not the outcome we had wished for the Coleg, on the whole, If the plan is developed to its full potential. the decaying buildings and site will be saved, renovated and mobilized to boost the local economy and jobs will be created. 

However, such a development, of course, will need serious capital and the plan states that each element of the plan will be sourcing funding from the public purse. Fair enough if it will save the site and its buildings and create much needed employment but I, myself, am uncomfortable with the plan to incorporate eight or up to ten luxury hotel holiday apartments into the plan. I can see how this will appeal to golfers and other well heeled people but, holiday homes is already a serious antagonizing issue in the area and one which the Welsh Government has just promised to tackle with new policies. In a climate where training is crucially needed for NHS and other public service staff, I feel the Wern Fawr building would be more suitably used if it was adapted as a skill training centre for such so, I hope that the local MP, MS and councillors will discuss this possibility with Mr Bowen-Morris if he's hoping for money from the public purse.

The whole development calls for careful monitoring so as to ensure that public funding is not once again misused and  thrown at a proposed development out of desperation.

The positive news is that clearing and restoration of the site is already in process and, there are definite plans afoot to make use of the theatre in the near future; that's exiting and encouraging news and hopefully, all will go well but, time will tell.

One other important element to consider in this saga is, of course, the plight of the Halls of Residence which is now in a serious state of decay due to neglect and vandalism. We will remember that it was bought, along with the St David's Hotel, by the Gibralter based development company Aitchison Associates. They were granted planning permission by the SNPA  for demolition of  the hotel and [adjacent] college hall of residence and construction of a new 130 bedroom hotel and 76 holiday apartments, formation of new internal road layout, landscaping and associated engineering works but, following years of doing 'nought' with either site, the SNPA were forced to clear the St David's hotel with public funds and this money has never been retrieved to date.

It is quite clear that Aitchison Associates are carrying out the same tactic in regards to the Halls of Residence site but, asbestos has been discovered in this building and it would cost a fortune to remove the asbestos or/and demolish the building and when the SNPA are finally forced to demolish the building and clear the site as happened in the case of the St David's hotel, Aitchinson Associates have another prime development site cleared on the public purse and are sitting on a goldmine!

This should not happen again and we, as a group have pleaded with the SNPA to work with the Welsh Government and Gwynedd CC to buy the Hall back via a compulsory order purchase so that it can be renovated for public use, possibly another skill training centre. Yes, it will cost to remove the asbestos but, at the least, the public money used will save the building for public use and not be squandered to boost the coffers of greedy capitalist companies such as Aitchison Associates. Hopefully, the area's MP, SM and councillors will be vigilant in regards to this case to ensure the correct outcome.  

Following is the 'Proposed Vision for the Coleg and Theatre; 

  I conclude this report by stating that our work as a small group to set up and promote the petition in the hope of saving Coleg Harlech as an educational and skill training centre is now done. We appreciate the support given by the 6,666 signators but, in reality, it was too little too late but, educational and skill training workshops can still be held at this establishment if the politicians get pro active in securing that. For the sake of the complex and the community, we wish the project well and will all be eagerly monitoring its development I'm sure.

One again, thank you all.

The Save Coleg Harlech Group.