A ‘BOLD’ design for a redeveloped multi-storey car park next to a listed building will ‘stick out like a sore thumb’ – but has been unanimously approved by councillors.
The plans, submitted by Torfaen Borough Council, which include stainless steel and mesh cladding and a new glass stairwell with solar panels on a roof extension are intended to help make the Glantorvaen car park next to the council’s Civic Centre in Pontypool an attraction and safer to encourage night time visitors.
The work is part of a £9 million regeneration project intended to revitalise the centre of Pontypool and which is backed by £7.6 million from the UK Government’s Levelling Up fund. The redevelopment will only increase the overall number of parking spaces by two, to 263, but there would be 10 electric vehicle charging points, disabled bays and motorbike parking spaces.
Planning committee member Councillor Alan Slade said that, while redeveloping the 1980s built brick and concrete car park has “obvious benefits”, he asked: “It is overbearing and does stick out like a sore thumb and on making it a safer space have the police been consulted and what have they said?”
It was confirmed the police hadn’t been asked to assess the application, but the council’s head of development Richard Lewis said he didn’t know if they had been asked for their opinion as part of Levelling Up project. He said as it was a council application he would be “happy” to make sure officials do consult with the police.
The independent councillor, who represents Llantarnam in Cwmbran, said: “I would be more confident it will be safer if the police are able to assess it, as otherwise it’s just taking somebody’s word for it.”
Planning officer Mia McAndrew said the “design statement” explained how the building would be improved to make it safer including the removal of the existing stairwell and its replacement with a four storey glass and grey metal extension that would provide public toilets, a lift, stairways and access to the Tesco car park.
She acknowledged the plans would impact the neighbouring Grade II-listed Civic Centre because of its “large scale and unusual design” but recommended councillors approve the application which she said the council wanted to have an “industrial appearance to make reference to Pontypool’s industrial history.”
She said the impact “would be limited and outweighed by the benefits of the proposed investment”.
Plans to convert the derelict St James Church and the Hanbury Road toilets, next to Pontypool Park, as an arts centre and restaurant and to help create a night time economy for the town form the main part of the Levelling Up plan and are yet to be considered by the committee.
The report prepared for the committee outlined how the council’s own heritage and landscape officers had raised concerns about the design of the car park and its impact on the Civic Centre, including the older Town Hall building, and questioned the use of steel as a reference to the town’s history.
Ms McAndrew said coal and iron are industries associated with Pontypool, which didn’t produce steel, but said conditions would be used so planning officers could see details of the materials to be used, which haven’t yet been provided, and check the cladding is “high quality” and so they can “choose the best colour”.
Upper Cwmbran councillor Steve Evans asked if the cladding would be fire-proof and he, and Pontnewydd member Stuart Ashley, asked about accessibility, while Llanyrafon councillor David Williams said the redevelopment would have been a “good opportunity to consider undercover push bike storage”.
Development chief Mr Lewis said bike storage had been thought about and he would check if it is being considered as part of a wider scheme in Pontypool while he said fire safety is an “important issue the council is aware of” and he said the plans also include a lift which will improve access within the car park.
Councillors also had to be reminded that drainage issues are subject to a separate application to the drainage authority.
Labour councillor Gaynor James, who represents Pontypool, said the town “needed” the development and she was satisfied with the conditions suggested.
