Plans submitted to bring new use to ‘severely neglected’ town centre building

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to turn a prominent building in Welsh town centre into shops and housing have been re-submitted to the local council.

The plans for the property in Commercial Street, Maesteg, were first submitted and conditionally approved by the local authority in January of 2021.

They were granted permission to develop the site for two retail shop units on the ground floor alongside nine residential units on the upper floors and basement area.

However, in January, 2026, an updated application was handed in by developers at RMI Management Limited asking to increase the number of residential units at the site from nine to ten.

The town centre property consists of a three-storey terraced building which spans from 38-40 Commercial Street in Maesteg.

It is based on a street largely filled by other shops just minutes away from Maesteg Train station and the newly renovated Maesteg Town Hall.

It was previously used as a privately rented office but has been described as being “seriously neglected for some time” with the internal works of the building requiring major refurbishments.

The latest application said: “This application seeks to modify an existing planning permission that has been substantially commenced following the discharge of all pre-commencement planning conditions.

“Essentially, however, the proposal seeks to comply with the planning permission already granted but to increase the number of residential units from 9 to 10 residential via a re-configuration of the upper floor levels to facilitate the additional residential unit.

“Importantly, the ground floor and basement levels would be largely the same and the external alterations are as approved.”

It added that the site was intended to be of high quality of design when finished and would keep its historic mix of red brick and lighter brick detailing as found with other older buildings along commercial street.

The housing element of the building would be targeted for use as affordable homes.

The application comes as a major development just outside of the town centre also starts to take shape, for 200 homes on the former cosmetics Revlon factory site.