PLANS to turn a former Valleys B&B into an HMO and flats have been rejected by councillors after widespread public opposition.
The council’s planning committee refused plans for a six-bedroom HMO (house in multiple occupation) and two flats at the Mount Pleasant Hotel in Cardiff Road, Merthyr Vale, at a meeting on Wednesday, October 9.
The building used to operate as bed and breakfast/hotel but this ended several years ago and it is currently used as one large residential property.
In September the committee decided not to accept officer recommendations to approve the application because of concerns over highway safety and the
unsustainable location of the application site.
The reasons for refusal now agreed include that the development would give rise to an increase in the level of on-street parking and congestion to the detriment of highway safety and this will be exacerbated on occasions when the A470 is closed and traffic is diverted along Cardiff Road.
The other reason is that the development would be located in an unsustainable location with poor access to local amenities and poor transport links.
Back in June the committee had voted to have a site visit for this application.
A petition with 1,275 signatures and 91 letters of objection were received which raised concerns over community safety, an over-concentration of HMOs, parking issues, anti-social behaviour, overlooking, it being close to a playground and playing field, changing the character of the area, and that the community would like to keep the building as an amenity/facility for the area.
Planning officers had originally recommended that the application be approved.
Councillor Scott Thomas, committee member and councillor for Merthyr Vale, told committee the building had changed hands and there were new owners.
Committee member Clive Jones said he found it “bizarre” they were dealing with the application where there had been a change of ownership of the property.
He said he didn’t think he’d come across anything like this and asked if it would still go the planning inspector if there was an appeal.