A NUMBER of local residents and County Councillors turned up in fancy dress yesterday (Sunday 18) to try and save a historic village building.

Around a dozen protestors – including the Flintshire County Councillors David and Gladys Healey – campaigned outside the former Temperance tea room in Bridge End, Caergwrle.

Speaking to the Leader at the protest, Cllr David Healey, the Chair of Education and Youth, said: “This building is part of our social history, but there is a real danger that it could be destroyed by a bad winter or an arson attack.

“We want to make it safe and secure from these problems. Unfortunately, the police haven’t been able to do anything about it, but hopefully something happens now.

“There hasn’t been much progress before this, but I think we’ll finally see some movement as a result of this protest which many people have pledged their support to.”

The building, which is just metres away from Caergwrle Station, has now stood empty and disused for many years, leading to local villagers becoming concerned about its dilapidated appearance and risk to safety.

There are no longer any windows on the building, leaving a number of potential entry points for people with an intent to get inside.

The unsecured state of the building has particularly affected neighbour, Ms Penny Jones, who has lived next door for 16 years.

She said: “We’ve had gangs of older youths in there who aren’t fazed by me when I go out there, and it is a real problem which I have to call the police about quite often.

“The building has been in a bad state since I moved here in 2003.

“Despite its poor condition, an elderly man used to use it back then, while living in a camper van that was left at the front of the building.

“Sadly, he left for a nursing home before passing away in the late 2000s, and the building has slowly been getting worse and worse since then.

“I’d be happy with any work that does something to restore it, including the plans to have it converted into four flats.”

An application to convert the building into five units of accommodation was proposed on August 31, 2017.

However, those plans were withdrawn in June 2018 with a revised application for four units of accommodation being submitted on the same day.