School conversion refused by county planners

Bruce Sinclair, Local democracy reporter

Calls to convert a former village school to a home after a previously approved scheme lapsed have now been refused by county planners.

Carole Humphreys, through agent Greyside Planning, Ceredigion, sought permission for a change of use of the former Ysgol Gynradd Pontsian school in the village of Pontsian near Llandysul to a single dwelling, with associated works.

The site was formerly used as a primary school before closing in 2016, and has previously obtained permission for a change of use to a four-bed property under a 2018 application, which has now expired before works started.

The school was closed as part of a wider primary school reorganisation in the lower Teifi valley which resulted in Pontsian primary school being replaced by a new regional school at Ysgol Bro Teifi.

Permission

The latest application sought permission for a resubmission of details after a Certificate of Lawfulness application made in 2023 was refused.

A supporting statement said: “The Certificate of Lawful Development was applied for in an attempt to keep the permission ‘live’ on site as the client had begun the process of removing interior features of the property, to begin the change to a dwelling. Unfortunately, these works were not decided to be substantial enough to attribute a commencement of development.

“The site therefore as of current is paused in the position of neither a school nor a dwelling through its materiality as the works could not progress when the refusal was decided upon. Making the outcome of this application of great importance for the re-use and upkeep of the building.”

Development

The statement added: “The existing condition of the property iterates the importance of acquiring this permission to continue the development in accordance with the submitted plans as the proposal began under the previously approved plans, but not to a degree of materiality that could regard the application to be extant. This leaves the client awaiting the new permission to be able to repurpose the property and utilise the building effectively and lawfully.”

Natural Resources Wales had objected on the grounds there was “insufficient foul drainage information and retention of existing septic tank connection,” an officer report for planners which recommended refusal said.

The application was refused for reasons including it would result “in an open market dwelling within an unsustainable location,” it “does not include a contribution towards affordable housing, and no detailed viability assessment has been submitted to demonstrate that such a contribution would be unviable,” a lack of a detailed landscaping scheme and Green Infrastructure Statement, the foul drainage concerns, and a lack of information of any effect on the effect on the River Teifi SAC.