News

Grade II listed mansion set to become apartments

15 Oct 2026 3 minute read

A final decision on a call for 11 apartments at Abermad Mansion, Llanfarian will be made by Ceredigion planning officers. Picture: Ceredigion County Council webcast.

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

A call to convert a former mansion to apartments is expected to be allowed by officers if the applicants can prove they can’t afford to make a policy contribution towards affordable housing in the county.

In an application recommended for approval at the October 14 meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, Mark Sandford, of Abermad Mansion, Llanfarian, through agent Hughes Architects, sought permission to convert the Grade-II*-Listed building from a nursing home into residential accommodation.

The scheme will see 11 apartments at the site.

An officer report said Plas Abermad was listed in 1989 “as an exceptionally complete High Victorian Gothic Country House by a major architect, retaining particularly high quality interior detail”.

It said the building “had suffered from a lack of maintenance which resulted in the roof leaking in places and other essential repairs not having been carried out,” adding: “As a result water ingress had started to affect the roof structure and interior. There had also been significant damage to some of the stonework over the years, especially to the porch and side lean to area, with the stone carvings being eroded.”

The report added: “The condition of this important building is of concern, with the effects of the water ingress being clearly visible. However, the roof works and repairs to the stonework [from a previous consent] have been implemented.

“Plas Abermad is a large building in a rural area whose use as a nursing home ceased a few years ago. It can be difficult to find new uses for such buildings, especially ones that have a minimal impact on their character, appearance and fabric.

“The conversion to residential uses can be particularly difficult to incorporate successfully, especially where it is proposed to divide the building into small units and not to respect the original layout and detailing of the building. This proposal however has taken into account these matters and has been developed on the basis of what is currently in place.”

One sticking point for the scheme was a lack of an affordable housing contribution, currently set at 20 per cent, or two affordable units; the applicants saying including such a condition would make the proposal unviable.

The report said: “It is noted that the proposal does not provide an affordable housing contribution due to the lack of viability in terms of the significant additional costs in relation to restoring and converting listed buildings, especially Grade-II*-listed buildings such as Plas Abermad.”

It said planners were currently considering a formal viability challenge by the applicants to that affordable housing policy in respect of the scheme.

Members backed a recommendation to defer a decision giving planning officers powers to approve, pending the outcome of the viability challenge.

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