Eyesore disused department store sold after being empty since 1980s

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

A prominent ‘eyesore’ building, which has been empty for the last 40 years, has finally found a buyer.

The grade-II listed former Co-operative department store at 35 Commercial Street in Pontypool was listed for auction in December but sold privately in advance.

It has been listed for a guide price of £145,000 and estate agents Seel and Co, which said it was hopeful of concluding negotiations with an interested bidder ahead of the auction, confirmed it sold in excess of the guide price.

It isn’t known who has bought the building which is in a prominent position in Pontypool’s conservation area or what the future plans are.

The art-deco style building, that was purpose built for the Co-op in 1938, is close to the listed Town Hall building and Torfaen Borough Council’s Civic Centre and the derelict St James Church which is due to be restored as part of a regeneration project which will also see the nearby Hanbury Road toilets converted to a restaurant overlooking Pontypool Park’s Italian Gardens.

A plan to divide the former department store’s ground floor into smaller retail units and to use the upper floors as a clothing factory and offices was approved by council planners in June 2023.

However Waseem Mohammed, who applied for the planning permission approved in 2023, put it up for sale as he was no longer progressing with the plan.

According to a listing for the building planning permission was previously awarded to convert the upper floors to residential use and its condition was described as in “generally good order” but requiring “complete refurbishment throughout”.

Prominence 

The building’s prominence was also highlighted when councillors recently discussed a plan to boost the economies of Torfaen and Blaenau Gwent.

Christina Harrhy, who is the acting director of economy for both authorities, said Pontypool town centre has a lot of empty properties, with many in private ownership.

She highlighted 35 Commercial Street as a long term vacant building that had been subject to discussions when she previously worked for the council 15 years ago.

Once considered one of Pontypool’s grandest stores the long disused property has been branded an “eyesore” and it’s thought its last lawful use was as a furniture store after becoming a branch of the discount chain Hyper Value in the 1980s.

In November 2020 police found 581 cannabis plants, worth £374,000, growing inside tended to by a homeless Iraqi asylum seeker who a judge said it wasn’t even clear was being financially rewarded.