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Planners stop former pub’s return

17 Sep 2024 3 minute read
Penndragon Oak Street Abertillery. Omage: Google Streetview

Elgan Hearn Local Democracy Reporter

An appeal has been lodged with Welsh Government planning inspectors in a bid to overturn a decision by planners to refuse plans to turn a landmark former pub back into a pub.

Just under a year ago, Thomas Lewis of the Highmore Group lodged a planning application with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to convert the former Penndragon pub on Oak Street, Abertillery from a vacant care facility back into a public house with rooms for let.

The building had been a pub until it’s closure in 2014 and had at one stage been the home of Abertillery rugby club.

In 2015 a planning application to change its use to a “mixed use support facility” was granted permission by the authority.

But the care facility closed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rejection

In November last year planning officers rejected the proposal as they judged it to be “contrary” to policies in the county’s Local Development Plan (LDP).

The decision came in for much criticism locally on social media.

Due to this at a meeting of the council’s Planning committee meeting last January, councillors asked planning officers to explain the decision.

According to councillors this was so as to “lay the matter to bed” and stop people: “having a go at the council.”

The application had appeared on a list of applications that were decided by planning officers using delegated powers between October 26 and December 17 last year and were for noting by councillors at the meeting.

The planning officer’s report said: “The proposed use is considered incompatible with the residential use of the area and would generate a level of increased noise and disruption detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring residential properties.”

Planning agent David Glasson has lodged an argument against the decision with PEDW (Planning and Environment Decision Wales).

Mr Glasson explains that there is has a long history of a pub being at this site going back 150 years when the Station Hotel was there.

The current three storey building was built around 1900.

Mr Glasson said: “The appellant acquired the building in 2022 with the intention of reopening the premises as a public house and letting rooms.”

Mr Glasson adds that Mr Lewis was granted a premises licence to sell alcohol there in May 2023.

Mr Glasson said: “With a long history as a hotel, members club and then a public house the building or rather its use over the years is well established in the neighbourhood and wider community or was at least until its closure.

“The general acceptability of the proposal is evident in the fact there were no adverse comments from the Environmental Protection Team and only a single letter of objection.

“The demise of so many public houses in recent years has both economic and cultural ramifications for a community such that the reopening of a public house against this backdrop is a welcomed development against the trend.”

Final comments from all parties are expected by October 10.


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