Plans to demolish a Welsh chapel and turn it into a holiday home have been met with dismay by community leaders.

An application to knock down Capel Horeb at Bryn Rhyd Yr Arian near Llansannan has been put in by Ryan Peers, a developer from Flint.

The application said Mr Peers wants to demolish the  former chapel and build a new detached rental house

The  Methodist chapel was built in 1841, enlarged in 1871 and rebuilt in 1891.

But the plans have been been opposed by area community councillors.

Cllr Bethan Jones, who got married in the chapel in 1989, she said: “My family used this chapel, I went there for Sunday school and even got married there so for it to be demolished would be very upsetting. It’s been there for years and for it go completely, well I would be against that.”

Her fellow community councillor, Berwyn Jones, said: “It’s part of our tradition, there are plenty of examples of chapels being adapted into residences and keeping their character. I know it has served it’s purpose but at least keep its character as a chapel.”

There has also been an objection from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.

It argued there was no need for a holiday home and that the replacement dwelling would be out of character with the area.

In a letter to Conwy planners it said: “Whilst the application indicates that the new building would be a dwelling it would be for holiday rental and not a permanent residence. Local Development Plan planning policy does not permit the construction of new dwellings in the open countryside as is desired here.

“Moreover any permitted rural dwelling should be to provide affordable accommodation to satisfy a local housing need which is clearly not the case here. Permission for a dwelling for holiday use could easily give rise to an application in the future for use as a non-affordable permanent dwelling which might be difficult to refuse.

It added: “Finally the proposed design is quite inappropriate for such a location in the heart of rural Wales.”

Mr Peers’ agent did not wish to comment on the application.