The old courthouse in Pontypridd is set to become student flats after councillors approved plans despite concerns over parking and appearance. A planning application and conservation area consent application were granted permission by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s planning committee on Thursday, July 7 for 26 student flats for the building on Court House Street in Graig.
The application from Cartrefi Ltd will see the building converted from offices and would involve partly demolishing the existing building. A previous application was granted for the conversion of the building into 20 flats which also included partial demolition.
The report said it is understood that conversion works have already commenced under the approved consent so the current application will be part-retrospective. During the early stages of the development, the applicant thought less of the building needed to be demolished than originally thought and extra flats could be included in the scheme.
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The plan includes partial demolition of the original building but this will be limited to the most central part and a small single-storey toilet block on the north-western side with the main structure being kept. The flats will be in four blocks which would be located around a newly-created outdoor courtyard.
Block A will form the main part of the front of the building facing onto Courthouse Street and will contain 10 flats, block B will form the north-western section of the building and will include six flats, block C will be at the rear of the building and also include six flats and block D will be at the south-eastern section of the building and will include four flats. Each flat will have a living area with a bed, study area and a small kitchen, and an en-suite shower room.
Seven off-street car parking spaces will be provided to the front of the building whilst a bin storage area will be provided to the south-eastern side. A communal laundry room will also be provided at ground floor between blocks B and C, with access off the main courtyard area
The building was most recently used as council offices and is not listed, although the former register office to the north-west is. The site is located within the Pontypridd Conservation Area and Pontypridd Character Area.
There were two letters of objection from residents sent in to the council relating and another two from supporters, whilst a further two letters of objection were received from the local councillor Jayne Brencher, and Pontypridd Town Council. The main concerns relate to traffic and parking with the objectors saying there are already parking issues in the area due to the close proximity to town, the train station and the hospital.
They said it would already be an issue with 20 flats so adding six more would make parking impossible and that at present there is no parking with contractors and residents parking dangerously on surrounding roads, endangering other motorists and pedestrians. They also said it is indicated that a collision has already occurred outside the property due to reckless parking and children have narrowly avoided being hit by a vehicle, unable to see because of cars parking dangerously on the road.
They said it will add to the already chaotic streets and there will be no provision for parking and it will not be long before there is a more serious collision, perhaps even a fatality. The objectors said the development is in the immediate vicinity of Dewi Sant Hospital, which is not only used for outpatients but also for a large GP practice which caters to patients from all over the town council area of Pontypridd.
They added facilities at this location have been increased in recent times adding to traffic and parking issues and parking at the site is already inadequate and patients face increasing difficulties, which forces many into surrounding roads to avoid missing appointments. They said the proposal will exacerbate an already serious situation and will put patients’ health and the quality of residents’ amenities at risk of being compromised.
Concern has been raised with regards to the extreme and growing parking issues in the area due to the expansion of Dewi Sant Health Park, the proximity of the town centre and railway station and also the proximity to the Coroners Court and Masonic Lodge. Objections were also raised under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 with objectors asking members of the planning committee to consider its duty to ensure a healthier Wales; a country in which “people’s physical and mental wellbeing is maximised.”
They also said the development, because of the potential mental distress caused, runs counter to this duty But the council’s planning officers have recommended it for approval.
In the planning report they said: “The application site is located within the defined settlement boundary and within a highly sustainable location where the principle of purpose-built student accommodation is considered to be acceptable. The works would involve some demolition works however, the main parts of the building would be retained, including the principal elevation and other features considered to be of architectural merit.
“It is therefore not considered that the development would have an adverse impact upon the character and appearance of the site or that of the conservation and character areas in which the site is situated. The alterations to the building would have no impact upon the amenity and privacy of adjacent properties and whilst it is noted that a number of objections have been received from local residents in relation to the potential for noise and disturbance, the site is located in a mixed use area and it is not considered that the proposal would have an adverse impact upon the amenity and privacy of existing neighbouring properties.
“Furthermore, the proposal includes ample off-street parking provision to the front of the site which would ensure that the proposed development would not have an adverse impact upon highway safety in the vicinity of the site.”
Councillor Jayne Brencher, who represents Graig and Pontypridd West on the council, said there were two serious issues she wanted to raise which included parking and the appearance of the development. She said: “The additional six units will put more pressure on the parking.”
She said the development is right opposite the Dewi Sant hospital and that they are currently having some very serious issues with parking in that area. She said: “An additional six units would make a current situation untenable. Local residents are very concerned about this. Very very concerned.”
On the physical appearance, she said the buildings are a “critical part of Pontypridd’s history” and that any attempt to remove that would be “very very detrimental to the town” and would be “strongly strongly objected to” by local people. She asked for a second site visit as there are new members on the committee.
Councillor Gareth Hughes said the principle of the development is already agreed and while he does have sympathy around the parking issue students do have lower car ownership than the general population. He added that the site is in a highly sustainable location near to both train and bus links adding that it seems they’re trying to develop some decent student accommodation.
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