South Wales church to be born again as community hub

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A church that has been revitalised following the Covid pandemic has had the greenlight for an overhaul as a “community hub”. 

Approved plans will see the single storey building extended with new entrance doors and a new first floor above the existing worship hall. 

The congregation at the Sharon Church had dwindled to just 12 active members immediately following the 2020 pandemic with the loss of many elderly congregants. 

As a result its leaders rethought how the church, which was established in 1936, could best serve the community in Pontypool and decided to open the Osborne Road building for community use and support. 

It now hosts a low-cost grocery store and café to support those facing food poverty and isolation, help with household bills and support for families during school holidays amid other “well-attended” community events attracting between 750 and 1,000 visitors every month. 

The services are delivered with funding from the National Lottery, Comic Relief, the Welsh Government, and Torfaen Borough Council while in 2024 Sharon Church was named third sector business of the year, by the Torfaen and Monmouthshire Business Awards, in recognition of its impact. 

Work with children and young people has also increased and 25 children regularly attending weekly faith-based programmes with “many more engaged through partnerships with local schools”.  

Membership has recovered with attendances now often exceeding pre-pandemic levels and the majority of members being “newcomers” who joined within the past three years according to a statement from the church included with its application for the community hub and cafe and to extend the 1950 built single storey church. 

Applicant, Reverend Stephen Peel, who also acted as planning agent through his Abergavenny-based Fine Design Conservation firm, stated: “Our facilities, however, have not kept pace. The current building is in use six days a week, often for five to six hours a day, but it can no longer accommodate our expanding activities.” 

The planning statement outlines the ambition for the redeveloped three-storey building, including the basement, to have a dedicated youth area in the basement, potentially including a soft play area, named the The Living Waters Centre. 

Torfaen council’s planning department approved the plans which include enlarging the ground floor to provide a reception area, shared café and worship space, kitchen, lift, toilets and waste store.  

Two stories will front the street with new entrance doors with a large feature window and cross above it.  

Planning officer Mia McAndrew said while the plans “significantly change the scale and appearance of the property” the additional storey wouldn’t be out of place as surrounding properties on Osborne Road have two stories and it would still be at a lower height.  

While the cross wouldn’t reflect the appearance of the existing building or surrounding area “it would reflect the church use and would not be detrimental to the character and appearance of the street scene”.  

A pitched roof and stained glass window on the rear extension would be out of place “but would not have a harmful visual impact because they would not be highly visible from the public realm.” 

Ms McAndrew’s report said while use of the building would be increased it wasn’t considered meeting rooms and the café would significantly increase noise and there were no objections to the application. 

A condition will require the cafe permission remains tied to the church and community hub.