Village church hall to become holiday let after planning approval

Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter

A call to convert a seaside village’s church hall, whose last community user was back in 2018, to a holiday let has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Ceredigion County Council, Ian Benbow, through agent Loyn and Co Architects, sought permission for a change of use of the former meeting hall at St Carannog’s Parish Room, Llangrannog to short-term lets.

Works started back in April but haven’t been completed, a supporting statement accompanying the application says, adding: “The site was previously a meeting hall associated with the neighbouring St Carannog’s church, but has been empty and disused for many years and was recently sold at auction by the church to the applicant.”

The proposal was supported by local community council Llangrannog.

An officer report recommending approval said: “The proposal involves the reuse and refurbishment of the existing building with no proposed extensions or increase in its footprint. The revised internal layout would create visitor accommodation arranged over two floors.”

It added: “Evidence submitted in support of the application demonstrates that the building has experienced a prolonged decline in community use. Information provided by the church warden confirms that the last regular user of the hall, a yoga group, ceased using the premises in 2018 and that other historical users had either disbanded or relocated to alternative venues some years beforehand.

“Since that time, no significant interest has been expressed in hiring or operating the building for community purposes.”

It went on to say: “The information submitted also highlights a number of significant constraints which adversely affect the suitability of the building for continued community use. The principal accommodation is located at first-floor level and is accessed by steep external steps, resulting in poor accessibility and limiting the building’s ability to meet modern accessibility standards.

“Furthermore, the site has no dedicated parking provision, with users reliant on public parking facilities elsewhere within the village. These factors substantially diminish the building’s attractiveness and practicality as a venue for community activities.”

It said there are other community facilities in the area, including Pontgarreg Memorial Hall, which “provides a modern and accessible facility offering a range of community services and meeting spaces,” and the Pentre Arms “continues to accommodate meetings and community functions”.

It further added: “Llangrannog is a recognised tourist destination, and the provision of additional self-catering accommodation would contribute towards the local visitor economy. The proposal would achieve this through the re-use of an existing building rather than new-build development, representing an efficient and sustainable form of development within the settlement.”

The application was conditionally approved.

---

Get more trusted Welsh news

Choose Nation.Cymru as a preferred source in Google News to see more of our journalism.