AN EMPTY church in Pontypridd will be turned into flats as plans were given the go ahead.
The plan from DS Lan Developments Ltd is for the conversion of the empty Old St Matthew’s Church in Dorothy Street into five three-bedroom apartments with 10 off-road parking spaces.
It was approved by Rhondda Cynon Taf’s planning committee on Thursday, May 15, and the report said the building was considered to be of great architectural merit, although it is not listed.
It said the site had been vacant for a number of years and appeared to have been taken over by vegetation to all four sides.
It added that the building had also evidently been the subject of anti-social behaviour with windows being broken and subsequently boarded up.
There were three letters of objection which raised concern around the lack of parking in the area and that the proposed level of parking within the development was insufficient.
Concern was also raised with regard to construction traffic and the objectors said that there were a number of commercial premises at the end of Ralph Street and customers used Ralph Street to park.
They said the building had been vacant for a number of years and the southern side was now almost entirely covered in vegetation which birds used as a nesting location.
The objectors said there were written details in the plans which were unreadable and that the development was a substantial project and the developer would need solid finance and a track record of completing similar projects in an efficient and considerate way.
They said the development would have a large impact on residents, that the current owner had not consulted with residents and had not done anything to tidy up the site.
And they said that the building had deteriorated significantly in the last 20 years and youths had broken in several times.
But Councillor Mike Powell said he was happy to see this application coming before committee and Councillor Loretta Tomkinson said it was really nice to see this development as it had been deteriorating heavily.
In recommending approval, planning officers said in their report: “The application site is located in a highly sustainable location where the conversion of existing buildings for residential purposes is considered acceptable.
“The existing building is considered to be of historical and architectural merit and the retention of the building largely in its current form is therefore welcomed.
“Whilst the overall visual appearance of the building would be altered by new fenestration layouts, the re-use of the building would improve its current derelict appearance and would have a positive impact on the street scene.
“Furthermore, it is not considered that the conversion of the building would have an adverse impact upon the amenity and privacy of neighbouring properties, or upon highway safety in the vicinity of the site.”
