A Pontypool nursery may have to find a new home, after Torfaen’s planning department proposed to serve a listed building enforcement notice (LBEN) on their building.

Little Chums nursery has called a listed former cowhouse at Court Farm on Usk Road, Pontymoile home since 2007.

The council was quick to stress that it was no fault of the nursery’s but that the owner of the building had repeatedly breached planning regulations by making alterations to the building without first gaining planning permission for the work.

As a result the council will now force the owner to restore the listed building’s original features, and would mean as no application had been secured for its use as a nursery that Little Chums will have to move on.

In a report before the council’s planning committee at the Civic Centre, it stated: “Officers are of the opinion that the current landowner has failed to have regard to the statutory protection of his listed buildings and are now in a position to take formal action against him for the extensive alterations that have been carried out to the cowhouse.

“The unauthorised works to the cowhouse have had an adverse impact on the special character and appearance of the listed building and the setting of the other listed buildings in this complex.”

Torfaen have therefore allowed a 12 month period of notice for the works to begin to allow the nursery time to find new accommodation.

No one from the nursery was prepared to comment on the situation.

Cllr Gwyneira Clark, executive member for planning and public protection, said: "The unauthorised works have had an adverse impact on the special character of the listed building and other listed buildings described as an ‘especially well preserved farm’.

“A listed building enforcement notice is required to try and remedy the harm caused by various alterations carried out without the benefit of listed building consent.

"The nursery are fully aware of the impending action and that responsibility for compliance with the enforcement notice rests with the land owner and not the nursery itself. To ensure the remedial work is undertaken, a 12 month compliance period will be given to allow the nursery time to make alternative arrangements if necessary."