The owner of a rural chapel in Carmarthenshire which dates from the early 19th Century has been told he can't demolish it. Villagers in Rhydcymerau, south-east of Llanybydder, who objected to the application by Nigel Smith, said they would like the chapel to be a meeting place and community shop.
They were also worried about the adjacent graveyard, where author and nationalist David John Williams, who wrote Hen Dy Ffarm (The old farmhouse), is buried. "These were our people, and we should respect their final resting place," said Rachel Philip, of Rhydcymerau, in an email to Carmarthenshire Council. You can get more Carmarthenshire news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
Mr Smith's demolition application for the unoccupied chapel was turned down by the council's planning department. It said insufficient information had been provided in regard to the presence of a bat roost and the building's proximity to nearby properties. It also said no information had been supplied as to the proposed restoration of the site.
