Flats plan aims to help boost ‘vibrancy and vitality’ of town centre

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

Proposals to convert former accountancy offices into self-contained flats to help boost the “vibrancy and viability” of a town centre are to be considered.

It is also hoped that having people living at the heart of Llangefni could help to “encourage” a night time economy, plans say.

Anglesey County Council planners have received a full application to change the use of offices on the first and second floor into three self-contained flats on the High Street.

The application has been made by Owen Lewis through the agent Berwyn Owen.

The application says the use as offices ceased in 2025 when the accountancy firm that had occupied the property moved to another area after being sold to another company.

The building is located at the heart of the retail shopping zone and the change of use relates to the first and second floor only.

“The ground floor is occupied by St David’s Hospice charity shop which the applicant is keen to keep and encourage this valuable charity and so will remain as a shop,” the plans say.

The flats would provide rented accommodation and “by their very nature will be low cost rental properties,” it was stated.

It was noted that the previous offices occupied the first and second floors with access through a passageway and entrance from the High Street.

The proposed flats would utilise the whole of the upper floors with each flat being two–bedroomed with a kitchen/living area, separate bathroom and WC.

Each will also have its own private entrance door and will be totally self-contained.

A supporting statement with the plans said: “The Joint Local Development Plan for Gwynedd and Ynys Mon (JLDP) states that it wishes to enhance the vitality and viability of town centres and encourages a diverse mix of uses.

“Allied to this of course is the ever increasing recognition that having people actually living in the town centre encourages a night economy and enhances the vibrancy of any town centre.”

The plans concluded that the development was a “straightforward conversion” from offices to flats and echoed an identical proposal to the adjoining property above the former Santander Bank building.

The plans concluded that the development will “add to the diversity and range of properties available to rent in the town centre”.

It added: “It will add to the vitality of the town centre and encourage the evening economy. It is a sustainable and viable use of empty town centre premises, whilst retaining the retail shop at ground floor.

“The location will encourage sustainability principles in terms of using public transport or utilising the numerous cycle tracks that abound in and around Llangefni.

“There will be no major changes to the external elevations and certainly not those seen from the public realm.”