Town Council planners unhappy with flats proposal

Welshpool Town Council will oppose plans to develop a block of 19 flats on the site of the former Social Club.

The council’s planning committee met on Wednesday with around 40 members of the public in attendance to hear a pre-application consultation and agreed to oppose the scheme if it goes forward in its current format.

Hughes Architects had put forward the plans on behalf of Mid Wales Property, acting for Mid Wales Housing Association ahead of a full planning application for permission to demolish the existing building and erection a block of 15 two-bedroom and four one-bedroom flats.

The scheme includes parking for 11 vehicles at the top entrance with a further four at the entrance from the former railway line.

Hughes Architects say the site sits within the settlement boundary of Welshpool but does not feature in either the Powys County Council Unitary Development Plan (UDP) or Local Development Plan (LDP).

The firm argues that it “provides an exciting and deliverable opportunity for much-needed housing in a town centre location.”

But nearby residents along with County Councillor Graham Breeze voiced strong concerns about the size of the project and access implications at Wednesday night’s meeting.

The planning committee considered the application and recorded the following views:

1.    The Council was in general agreement with the resident’s views.

2.    The Council welcomes the redevelopment of the site but is not in favour of the scheme presented.

3.    The scheme as drawn is an overdevelopment of the site and the design does not complement the properties around it. (Particularly regarding material use).

4.    The car parking provision in not adequate and access not appropriate.

5.    Access for emergency vehicles does not appear to be taken into account.

6.    Adequate turning facilities for cars and other vehicles (such as a hospital minibus) needs to be provided.

7.    Any scheme should respect the adjoining properties and take into account privacy and loss of light.

8.    A review of the number of units available for disabled users’ needs to be undertaken.

9.    Access for wheelchair users needs to be addressed.

10.The footpath from Bron y Buckley to the lower part of the site should be retained in some form.