A LARGE house in a ‘prominent’ location in a conservation area near Chepstow Racecourse is to be converted to flats.
St Arvans Lodge, on the southern edge of St Arvans village, some two miles north of Chepstow, is currently used as two homes, but plans to divide it new housing units have been approved.
It will be split into four two-bedroom flats, a three-bedroom penthouse flat on the second floor, and one four-bedroom house over the existing three storeys. The plans also include the construction of a new garage for use by one of the new homes and extensions at the back of the house.
The application, by Andrew Colthart of Dartmouth in Devon, was approved by Monmouthshire County Council’s delegation panel after objections were received from a neighbour and the sustainable drainage approval body.
But a report to the panel said much of the concerns raised by the neighbour, about materials to be used in the restoration, had been dealt with in the application and that there is sufficient space between the property and others nearby.
Council planning officer Kate Young said in her report that as the application is for the conversion of an existing property, with little new development, she was satisfied with the plan for a new soakaway to deal with surface water generated from the front of the site and connected to a tank taking water from the rear.
St Arvans county councillor Ann Webb, and the local community council, raised concerns about parking spaces, but the report said the 14 to be provided, including the garage, were sufficient and the highways department hadn’t objected. It was satisfied the road serving the house, and other existing properties, provided enough space for cars, and service vehicles, to move and with the access from the A466.
Though St Arvans Lodge is described as a prominent building a overlooking the road and the Piercefield Public House, which is also an early 19th century substantial building at the entrance to the village, it is considered to be in “a poor state of repair”.
Following negotiations with the council the scale of the restoration and designs were amended and the council’s heritage officer hasn’t objected while plans to remove a modern porch, from the front of the house, are described as “a significant enhancement” that will “return the property to its original state”.
No contribution to affordable housing is required due to the number of units and the development being a conversion.
