PLANS to turn a former pub in Llangennech into flats have been turned down.
Carmarthenshire Council said the proposal to convert The Farmers Arms went against planning policy because the site was considered at risk of flooding, that three of the six flats would be on the ground floor, and the applicants hadn’t demonstrated that consequences of flooding could be acceptably managed.
Planning officers also said a bat survey and noise assessment hadn’t been carried out, and that Seneca Property Group Ltd, which wants to convert the empty pub, hadn’t yet entered into a legal agreement with the authority to provide an affordable housing contribution.
Llanelli-based Seneca Property Group had sought pre-application advice from council officers, who advised that the proposed layout of the flats would be broadly acceptable. Officers also said evidence would need to be submitted justifying the loss of a community facility, including a report about why the pub was not financially viable.
Seneca Property Group bought The Farmers Arms from Felinfoel Breweries, which had planning consent to turn it into a home, in January this year. A supporting statement on behalf of its subsequent planning application said the pub, on Bridge Street, had been closed for years because it was not viable, and that there were three other pubs within 600m.
“If Felinfoel Breweries, who are a large experienced pub operator in Wales, cannot sustain a pub in this location it is also reasonable to assume that a smaller operator or individual would have less chance of success,” said the statement. It added that in excess of £150,000 would be needed just to carry out various repairs to the building.
Seneca Property Group’s plans for the pub included a new rear extension and adding another floor to an existing side extension to help accommodate the flats. Five parking spaces were proposed.
Responding to the refusal decision, a Seneca Property Group spokesman said it had carried out a bat survey, but he claimed the council hadn’t asked for it – or a noise impact assessment. He said the bat survey had now been submitted. He also claimed the council hadn’t forwarded a contract to sign relating to an affordable housing contribution. He said he was hoping that these matters could be resolved.
