Windmill owner ordered to repaint it in row over bright colours

The owner of Wales’s only working windmill has been told to repaint it white to replace its colourful makeover.

Melin Llynon, a 250-year-old Grade-II listed windmill on Anglesey, was painted red, white and green to celebrate a week-long festival.

Richard Holt, 33, decided to keep the colourful design following positive feedback from visitors, but Anglesey council has ordered him to return the building to its original white.

It had been painted in the colours of the national flag to mark the Urdd Eisteddfod youth festival, celebrating the Welsh language, culture and arts, and make the building look like Mistar Urdd, the mascot of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, a youth organisation.

Dr Eiddwen Jones, 85, a descendant of Thomas Jones, Melin Llynon’s first miller, said he “would have turned in his grave” had he known about its new appearance.

Jones managed the property for 70 years in the village of Llanddeusant until he died aged 90 in 1846.

She said: “He wouldn’t have liked it knowing the tendencies of the family which have been passed from generation to generation, and I’m saying he would have turned in his grave.

“The mill should have been in a much nicer whitewash colour. I’m quite happy for it to have been done over the time of the festival. But now is the time to change it back, and it’s been done without permission of the council.”

Mr Holt, who has run his business Mônuts at the windmill since 2019, says the makeover was intended to bring some colour and celebration to the island during the Eisteddfod.

The annual festival alternates between north and south Wales, attracting around 15,000 people aged eight to 25 and 100,000 visitors.

This year’s event was the first time it had been held on Anglesey since 2004, with Mr Holt, like many residents, decorating his business in the youth movement’s colours.

He said: “Windmills, many, many years ago, back in the day, were always decorated to celebrate really important events.

“I kind of knew what I had to do with the windmill, and it being remarkably similar to the shape of the logo, I thought, ‘The kids will love it, this will bring a smile to a lot of faces during some very difficult times’.

“We waited for the very last minute, in fact, the day before the events happened, with the intention of having it up for one week and then painting it white again immediately afterwards.”

But the public’s reaction to the painting was so strong that he changed his mind about repainting it.

He said: “The demand for it to remain these colours – the Welsh flag colours – was too much to ignore and that’s why it’s still as it is.”

Mr Holt claims thousands of people have visited as a result of the publicity, which is a boost as it is in a remote location.

He said: “I was more than willing to paint it back white, like, immediately, but we’ve been having a tough time financially of late and it has attracted thousands of people.

“My ultimate goal is to keep this windmill open to the public. The feedback we’ve had is that it’s made people feel proud to be Welsh.

“It’s brought colour to the attraction, to people’s lives. It’s also made the windmill unique.”

Mr Holt accepts that he should have sought permission before carrying out the work and has apologised to the council, but disputes that he has broken the law.

He has since launched a petition calling for the colours to remain – signed by hundreds of people – while also allowing a separate petition calling for the windmill to be returned to white, which has three signatures.

The council said the issue was not about opposition to Welsh culture but the legal protection afforded to a listed building.

‘Alterations require consent’

An Isle of Anglesey council spokesman said: “We fully recognise and support the importance of Welsh culture.

“However, Melin Llynon is a Grade II* listed building, which means it has special architectural and historic significance. 

“It is legally protected, and the council has a statutory duty to ensure there is compliance with the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, which provides for the protection and sustainable management of listed buildings.

“Any alterations that affect the character or fabric of a listed building require consent in advance. This applies in all cases, regardless of the intention behind the works. In this instance, the repainting was carried out without consent.

“For these reasons, we have asked that the unauthorised paint is removed using an appropriate conservation method and that the building is returned to a suitable, breathable finish. We are continuing to work with the owner to resolve the situation appropriately.”

[Source: Daily Telegraph]