Home » Anglesey’s Victorian-era Shire Hall up for sale following arson attack

Anglesey’s Victorian-era Shire Hall up for sale following arson attack

The Shire Hall Building (Courtesy Of Jackson Stops Estate Agency)

WHEN one of Anglesey’s finest civic buildings went up in flames, days before Christmas in 2023, its owner feared the worst.

Tristan Haynes bought the Victorian-era Shire Hall building in Llangefni in 2019 and his big plans for the building were put on hold by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Milton Keynes based director of Chief Properties Ltd knew the building had so much to offer but when he received a phone call to say the building was up in flames, he was left devastated.

Mr Haynes said: “When I heard about it, I was sick, sick for three months, I just couldn’t function. I had spent a lot of money on it, we had done a lot of work putting in internal structures. It was so disappointing.”

He added: “I fell in love with Anglesey, with all its peace and serenity, and the Shire Hall building in Llangefni was so impressive, I just thought it had so much potential. Soon after I had bought it in 2019, Covid came along, it seemed there was just one thing after another, and then came the fire.

Tristan Haynes (Pic: Tristan Haynes)

North Wales Fire & Rescue Service said at the time they believed the blaze was started deliberately by arsonists. But despite the extensive damage Mr Haynes believes it still offers a “great opportunity” for potential investors. He hopes the remains of the period property and surrounding site could be developed into something that will eventually “benefit the local community.”

The fire damaged Shirehall building in Llangefni (Pic: Klem Williams)

The property was listed with real estate firm Jackson-Stops at £500,000 at the end of last year. The Shire Hall, which overlooks Afon Cefni once housed the local and town councils along with the magistrates courts and police station. The building was later used as office space before succumbing to damage by water and vandalism, before the fire in December 2023.

Mr Haynes believes the site can be reborn if it attracted the right developer or investor. He said: “I put in plans to develop six town houses by the riverside, create an atrium, and a communal event space, grand entrance, even a VIP residence. There’s space for at least another 14 of the same town houses, and if the drawings are tweaked, a possible addition of 10 more homes. The planned houses were valued at £300,000 two to three years ago.”

He also floated the idea that the site could be picked up by the council and used to provide social housing: “I told the council, it is a large site, it could offer an opportunity to address the critical housing shortage and need, locally. “It would be good if it was something to benefit the community,” he added.

At the turn of the century the Shire Hall was once part of an architecturally impressive group of civic and religious buildings. It was awarded a Grade II listing in 1989 for being “a good example of a late 19th century civic building, employing the mix of vernacular and renaissance elements…”according to Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service.

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Historic image of the Shirehall building at Llangefni (Pic: Anglesey County council planning documents)

Mr Haynes said: “It offers so much possibility. Whoever gets it will get a large piece of development land in the very middle of Llangefni. You would have to go back centuries to get a piece of land in such an agreeable town centre space.”

It has endless potential as a hotel, a health spa, some kind of medical establishment, public museum or gallery, he suggested.

“For the right company or organisation it is a great proposal, and offers great returns. All the red tape and hard work has been done, the drawings just need tweaking, all the flood and archaeological reports are done, it being offered on a silver platter.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for someone. Even down to the amount of stone there, a developer could save a fortune reusing it for construction. If circumstances were different for me, I wouldn’t give it up,” Mr Haynes said.

Anglesey County Council Cllr Nicola Roberts added: “As the local member it would be nice to think that this historical building in Llangefni could be used again for a purpose that benefits the local community.”

The estate agent listing described the Shire Hall as an “exciting and unusual development opportunity” with planning permission for “six town houses, of four storey construction, and extending to approximately 150 square metres”.

The estate agency added: “However, the site would seem to support a significantly greater density of use, particularly if the now redundant building were to be demolished in part or entirety. The vendors’ architects have consulted with the local authority which has indicated support for a more elaborate scheme.

“The vendors will reserve for a term of 10 years 50% of future development value, in the event planning permission for a greater density of development is granted.”

An Isle of Anglesey County Council spokesperson said: “As an authority, we are currently in receipt of an annual allocation of Social Housing Grant funding from Welsh Government to develop housing schemes on the Island. With several housing schemes under development, we have already allocated our funding for the next three years. Our development budget is therefore fully committed, and we are not able to consider any other sites at present.”

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