Hall plans backed by town council

Plans to convert Llanerchydol Hall that had, according to the Mayor, caused “a lot of local consternation” for residents have been backed by Welshpool Town Council, who have called for a closer connection to be made between the owners and the local community moving forward.

Developers have submitted a part retrospective plan to develop the hall, including turning the west wing ground floor into a mental health and well-being retreat, following previous accusations of work going ahead without permission.

But it was clear at the council's planning meeting this week that councillors were keen to draw a line under previous issues, and move forward by developing a stronger relationship with the Hall owners.

Cllr Ben Gwalchmai hoped that it would become somewhere similar to Gregynog Hall where the community could make use of the gardens, and asked: “A big job like this is fantastic, but what are they going to give back to the community as well?”

The hall and gardens are separate to the parkland which is owned by another development company, so discussions around long-term park access were nipped in the bud, however community access to the gardens was something the council wanted to see happen.

“The proposal is that we support the application but we really would like to see that there is a very strong connection with the local community in terms of benefit and use,” said the Mayor, Cllr Alison Davies. It was passed unanimously.

Earlier this week, we reported how the Welsh Government threw out an appeal from the owners of the parkland to build 16 houses, a project that was approved way back in the 1980s.