Council planners to discuss Social Club plans again

Welshpool Town Council’s planning committee will discuss new plans for a block of 17 flats on the site of the former Welshpool Social Club on Wednesday night.

Earlier this year the Town Council decided to oppose plans after discussing a pre-application document at a public planning meeting when developers announced the scheme would involve 19 flats.

Over 30 residents attended the meeting in Welshpool Ton Hall in September to voice objections on the grounds of size, access considerations, car parking and over-development of the area.

Hughes Architects has put forward new plans on behalf of Mid Wales Property, acting for Mid Wales Housing Association for permission to demolish the existing building and erection a block of 17 flats with parking spaces for 17 vehicles - a reduction of two flats.

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.”

The planning committee on Wednesday is open to the public and starts at 6pm.

In September the Town Council 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.