The Wellfield Shopping Centre will be demolished

Gwynedd council's planning committee granted planning permission for a new shopping centre and multi-storey car park to be built on the site of the current Wellfield Shopping Centre on Wednesday evening.

The plan will also allow for the police station and magistrates' court to be pulled down.

Existing Wellfield shop tenants have been protesting they would lose their livelihoods as the �25m development will only have 11 large shops compared to the 38 businesses which are currently housed there.

The committee received more than 30 letters of complaint over the scheme.

What businesses would trade there? Big multinational companies, no doubt, who would make little or no contribution to the local economy Shop owner, Sioned Bebb

The proposal by a Leicester-based company, Cathco Group Ltd, includes demolishing the shopping centre, the nearby police station and magistrates court.

A new shopping parade will be built on the current site, as well as 48 underground parking spaces on the site of the court and a 414 space multi-storey car park on Dean Street.

But many feel the development will be an "eyesore" and would bring an end to the 20-year tradition of small local business trading on the site.

Tenants have raised concerns that they will not be offered leases at the new shopping parade if it gets the go-ahead.

Owner of Welsh bookshop, Siop Pendref, Sioned Bebb, is concerned there will be no provision for the 41 businesses who trade in the centre.

Artist's impression of the new shopping centre

"These proposals pose a very real threat to the livelihood of a substantial number of local ratepayers, many of whom stand to lose all their capital and their homes should the development proceed," she said.

While Ms Bebb says she is completely in favour of the principle of developing the site, it is the nature of the development that causes her concern.

"It's going to be rather like a retail park that you usually get on the edge of towns, but it's going to be in the city centre.

Local economy

"What businesses would trade there? Big multinational companies, no doubt, who would make little or no contribution to the local economy."

Music shop owner, John Williams, said: "The proposed development is not even a proper shopping centre in the recognised meaning of the word.

"There are no public malls proposed, only a development of 11 large shops as is the practice on a retail park each with its own entrance."