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More than 700 people have signed an online petition against TV adventurer Bear Grylls building on an idyllic headland in Gwynedd.

The petition was started last week after it was announced that Grylls was part of a consortium who recently submitted a pre-application request to discuss building 25 beach huts on Mynydd Tir y Cwmwd in Llanbedrog.

The papers were lodged by James Nichols, a director of The Llanbedrog Headland Company, alongside the 42-year-old Grylls.

While the TV presenter has since taken to Twitter to reassure locals that “no beach huts will be built if no one wants them there”, locals are skeptical the move will still go ahead.

Helen Whitney from Llanbedrog who started the petition and a Facebook group encouraging people to object the plans, said she felt Grylls had acted merely to “keep the peace.”

She said: “I understand that Mr Grylls had tweeted a retraction of his intentions, but that doesn’t answer for the others in the consortium.

“We don’t believe it when he says they won’t be built if we don’t want them, he has purely done it to keep the peace.

“I would like to ask Mr Grylls and Mr Nichols for a verbal response to the petition and the feelings of our local community.

“We are hugely concerned about the nature and beauty of our area, I refuse to let this ridiculous planning to go ahead.

“We, the local people, have huge respect and love of our home and this is just another financial gain for a consortium of individuals.

“I ask the consortium to make a clear and verbal statement.”

As the row continues one has created a cartoon opposing the proposals.

The picture, inspired by a scene in the iconic monster movie ‘Jaws’, shows a frightened woman swimming away from Grylls, who has had his face photoshopped onto the picture.

It was designed to depict Grylls, much like the great white shark in the classic horror film, preying on a popular tourist beach.

The petition will be presented to Gwynedd Council’s planning department.

A Gwynedd council spokesman said: “This is a process undertaken before an applicant decides whether they intend to submit a full planning application.

“As part of the pre-application advice process, planning officers will usually respond by referring to the relevant designations and relevant local and national planning policies.

“They will provide advice regarding the information that would be required if a decision was taken to submit a full planning application, and will advise whether or not the application would likely be in accordance with policies.

“Such advice and information is provided in good faith but without prejudice to the consideration that would be given to a planning application.

“The advice provided does not tie the planning department to a particular outcome, and will require formal consultation with local people, statutory consultees and any other interested party if a formal planning application is submitted.”

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