Key Points
- Reconstruction work is expected to take place soon at Pont Pengwern, which is a Grade II listed structure located in Llansannan.
- Pont Pengwern is a bridge that is located along the B5382 road. It crosses an unnamed tributary of the Afon Aled.
- The condition of Pont Pengwern has deteriorated since the collapse of one of its wing walls.
- In January 2025, a temporary sandbag retaining wall was installed so that the road can re-open.
- The reconstruction will involve vacuum grouting, pattress plates, concrete slab, waterproofing of the bulge, reconstruction of bulging sections, and reconstruction of parapet walls.
- Scour protection is also part of the reconstruction works, which will be undertaken in the river channel underneath the bridge.
- As a Grade II listed structure, Pont Pengwern will need listed building consent for its reconstruction.
- An application was expected to be heard by the Conwy County Borough Council’s planning committee on 8 July 2026.
- According to the planning officer recommendation, the planning committee members were minded to grant conditional listed building consent.
- If the planning committee approves the application, it will be sent to Cadw, which might decide if the Welsh Government needs to determine it.
- If Cadw does not become involved, then the planning officer will have the power to determine the application.
Wales (Wales Times ) November 10, 2026 — Conwy County Council is planning repair work on Pont Pengwern, a deteriorating Grade II listed rural bridge on the B5382 between Llangernyw and Denbigh. The council says the scheme is needed to protect the bridge’s structural integrity and maintain an important local road link.
As reported by the North Wales Pioneer, Conwy County Council’s planning committee was due to consider an application for listed building consent for repairs to Pont Pengwern, near Llansannan. The bridge carries traffic over an unnamed tributary of the Afon Aled and has fallen into poor condition following the collapse of one of its wing walls.
The Daily Post reported that the bridge between Llansannan and Henllan had been deemed to be in poor condition. The publication described the proposed scheme as repair work on a deteriorating rural bridge in Conwy.
Why is the bridge deteriorating?
The deterioration followed the collapse of one of the bridge’s wing walls. According to the council, a temporary sandbag retaining structure was installed in January 2025 to allow the road to reopen while permanent repairs were considered.
As reported by the Daily Post, the council said the works were necessary to “address the continued deterioration” of the listed bridge and to ensure the route remains safe.
The bridge is a Grade II listed structure, meaning it is recognised as a building of special architectural or historic interest. Because of that status, the proposed repairs require listed building consent under heritage legislation.
What repairs will be carried out?
The proposed works include vacuum grouting of the bridge’s internal structure, installation of pattress plates, and the addition of a concrete slab with a waterproofing layer. The council also plans to rebuild bulging sections of the structure and reconstruct the parapet walls.
Scour protection measures are also planned within the river channel beneath the bridge. Scour protection is intended to reduce erosion around the bridge’s foundations caused by moving water.
As reported by the North Wales Pioneer, the council says permanent repairs are needed to maintain the bridge’s “structural integrity” and preserve the “important road link”.
Who will decide on the bridge repairs?
Conwy County Council’s planning committee was due to consider the listed building consent application at its meeting on Wednesday, 8 July. The meeting was scheduled to take place at Coed Pella in Colwyn Bay.
Planning officers recommended that councillors be minded to grant conditional listed building consent. The application was being considered by the committee because the development is on council-owned land.
If approved, the application would be referred to Cadw, the Welsh Government’s historic environment service. Cadw would then decide whether the application should instead be determined by the Welsh Government.
If the application is not called in, planning officers would be authorised to issue the formal decision under delegated powers.
What does the repair mean for road users?
The B5382 bridge is described as an important road link between Llangernyw and Denbigh. The temporary sandbag retaining structure allowed the road to reopen after the wing-wall collapse, but the council says permanent work is now required.
The proposed repairs are intended to stabilise the structure and address the continued deterioration identified by the council. The Daily Post reported that the council considers the works necessary to ensure the route remains safe.
The reports do not state a start date, completion date or confirmed road-closure arrangements for the repair scheme. The available reporting instead focuses on the planning and heritage-consent stage of the proposal.
Background of the development
Pont Pengwern is a Grade II listed bridge on the B5382, carrying traffic over an unnamed tributary of the Afon Aled between Llangernyw and Denbigh. Its condition deteriorated after the collapse of one of its wing walls, prompting the installation of a temporary sandbag retaining structure in January 2025 to allow the road to reopen.
Conwy County Council subsequently submitted an application for listed building consent because the proposed repair works affect a listed structure. The council’s proposed package includes structural strengthening, waterproofing, parapet reconstruction and scour protection beneath the bridge.
The proposal was reported by the Daily Post in April 2026, when the council applied to its own planning department for permission to repair the bridge. Further reporting by the Daily Post and the North Wales Pioneer in July 2026 said planning officers had recommended conditional consent ahead of the planning committee meeting.
Prediction: How the repairs could affect local residents
For residents, commuters and businesses using the B5382 route between Llangernyw and Denbigh, the proposed repairs could reduce the longer-term risk of further deterioration or disruption caused by the bridge’s condition. If the works proceed, the road link may become more secure than it has been under the temporary sandbag retaining structure.
In the short term, residents could face planning-related uncertainty while Cadw considers whether the application should be called in and determined by the Welsh Government. If consent is issued without a call-in, the council’s planning officers would be able to issue the formal decision under delegated powers.
For drivers, farmers, school-run households and businesses dependent on the route, the practical effect will depend on the final construction programme, traffic-management arrangements and any temporary closures. Those details were not included in the available reporting, so residents should await a formal decision and subsequent council announcements before making travel plans.
