New chapter for former library to become supported accommodation

Richard Youle, Local democracy reporter

A former library in west Wales will become supported accommodation for people with learning disabilities and mental health needs.

The county council-owned building at the corner of Heol Iscennen and Ffordd Talbot had been Ammanford’s library since 1977 following use as a swimming pool.

Carmarthenshire’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of the supported accommodation proposal at a meeting on March 12.

There will be three en suite ground-floor bedrooms along with a shared living room and kitchen-dining room, office, and laundry room. Above there’ll be a further six bedrooms – five of them en suite – shared living space, a bathroom, and also an en suite staff bedroom given that it’s going to be run by the council on a 24-hour basis.

Residents will typically live in the accommodation for six to 12 months before moving on elsewhere on an independent basis.

Planning officer John Thomas said external changes would be minimal and that off-street parking would be provided at the site’s existing spaces.

In terms of need Mr Thomas said the scheme would reduce the council’s reliance on “high-cost out-of-county” residential placements, provide support, and be managed by social services and housing teams.

The committee report said: “The council’s housing service has advised of a high level of need for supported accommodation of this type and this carries significant weight in favour of the proposal.”

There were six objections from members of the public who were worried about Ammanford losing important civic buildings and what they felt to be a lack of clarity about who the occupants would be. A concern was raised that illegal migrants or people who may cause disturbance might live there.

When asked about how much transparency there’d been during the planning period Mr Thomas said the publicity had been in accordance with statutory requirements.

The committee report added: “There is no evidence to substantiate that the proposal would give rise to unacceptable disturbance beyond that typically associated with residential or supported accommodation use.”

Cllr Michael Thomas sought reassurance that the operational justification and environmental considerations had been “secured robustly enough” and would have been the same had it been a private developer application. Planning officer Mr Thomas said this was the case.

Before the vote was taken Cllr Russell Sparks said. “It’s so good to see Carmarthenshire County Council transforming a building that’s been underused into essential housing for our residents in Ammanford in an area which is in dire need of support.”

The town has a library in Wind Street.