Plans approved for 200-year-old chapel to be converted into three-bedroom house

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

Planners have given the green light for the conversion of a 205-year-old chapel to a three-bedroom house.

The original Penywaun Independent Chapel was built in 1819 and completely rebuilt in 1907. It was first put up for auction in 2010 with planning permission for conversion to residential use.

There will only be minimal alterations to the outside of the building but the creation of the bedrooms will require construction of an internal mezzanine floor.

Off street parking for two vehicles will be provided within the chapel grounds but in an area where there are no graves and people’s ability to visit the graves will not be affected.

Applicant Kristen McRobbie, of Llantarnam, will also have to reach an agreement with Torfaen Borough Council’s highways department over the relocation of a speed hump due to the requirement to partially demolish a stone wall to create access to the parking spaces.

One neighbouring resident objected but the council’s planning department said their concerns about overlooking windows could be dealt with by a condition requiring obscured glazing, despite the neighbour claiming frosted glass had failed to prevent “peering through the windows and encroaching” on their privacy.

Overpopulated

They also said three bedrooms would be too many for the “overpopulated area and the amount of cars it will generate will substantially impact on our already limited parking”.

Planning officer Justin Jones acknowledged concern about the area being “at capacity” but said no evidence has been provided and there are no parking restrictions in place.

The highways department complained the development is one parking space short of its standards but Mr Jones said it would bring a disused building into use and another place of worship, or other community uses such as a school or health centre, could be set up under the existing planning permission.

Mr Jones’ report said the Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust suggested photographs should be taken to record the building and noted its view the chapel is “an important part of the history of the non-conformist worshipping community in the Cwmbran area”.

A condition will remove permitted development rights for outbuildings, fencing or hard surfacing due to the presence of the graveyard which is visited every armistice day by relatives of those buried there.