PLANS to transform Caernarfon’s historic courthouse into a concert hall and tearoom have been formally submitted to Gwynedd Council planners.

Set in the heart of the historic town, at Pen Deitsh, the Grade I listed building housed the Crown and Magistrates Courts until its closure in 2009.

That year marked the opening of the new criminal justice centre on Llanberis Road but until then the building, in one form or another, was the seat of justice in Caernarfon for the best part of 700 years.

Planning permission was later given to convert the facility into an eight bedroom house, but it was placed back on the market in 2016 with an asking price of £525,000.

Under the plans which have now been submitted for consideration by Gwynedd Council planners, the basement and ground floors would see a change of use and conversion from residential to commercial use.

These would include tea rooms, a restaurant and space for entertainment  and music use.

According to the application, the development will create four full-time and six part-time jobs, with proposed opening hours of 8am-11pm on Mondays to Saturdays and 9am to 9pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Just across the road from the Old Court House is Caernarfon Castle, built by King Edward I, known worldwide as a World Heritage Site and where Prince Charles has his investiture in 1969.

Featuring a gothic architecture style of decoration, the old courthouse stands within the castle walls and still retains the impressive original dome, glass lantern and ornate and colourful ceiling designs.

Speaking earlier this year the applicant, Moira Hartley, said: “Other places I had been to did not have the concert space I needed for this but this was perfect.

“This is such an amazing building.” Under her plans, she wants a concert hall in the former crown court building and a tearoom in the old magistrates court. She would keep the cells open for the public to view. Ms Hartley added,

“We want to put on a range of concerts, from classical to jazz and anything else, we want the community to use this building and open it up to everyone.

“My aim is to strip back as much as we can to restore the building to how it was and reveal as much as possible.”

It's expected that a decision will be made by Gwynedd Council planners over the coming months.