A SKATE park at the back of a shop that was once destined to be a branch of a Russian supermarket chain has been approved.
A ramp has been installed inside the Core Shop at 43 Newport Road in Caldicot. The building is now run as a community space by the Caldicot Town Team, which supports activities in the Monmouthshire town.
As well as the skate park it has also established a soft play area and runs a seasonal market selling local crafts, food and gifts in the shop – which in May 2021 was revealed as the intended location for one of the first stores in the UK that Russian chain Mere planned to open.
However following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 the proposed shop never materialised.
Members of Monmouthshire County Council's Planning Committee, who met on Tuesday, December 5, were told change of use planning permission is only needed for the skate park and soft play areas as they are no longer being used for retail, though most of the ground floor of the three-storey building remains in retail use.
The application, submitted by Aaron Weeks of the Caldicot Town Team, was made retrospectively and put before the committee as local Labour councillor Maria Stevens had objected, as had Caldicot Town Council.
Planning officer Andrew Jones said the new uses are considered to be “complimentary and not competitive” with retail and he said, in line with the Welsh Government’s most recent advice, the leisure uses would “protect the viability of town centres by attracting footfall.”
The other floors of the building are in residential use and while it is acknowledged some noise would be generated from the use of the skate ramp, it is located at the rear of the flat roof part of the building, some 40 metres away the flats, and in a town centre location. But Mr Jones said a condition preventing use of the ramp after 8pm would be included as part of the permission.
Committee chairman, Caerwent Conservative councillor Phil Murphy, reminded members to keep their comments to planning matters and said: “There’s been an awful lot of discussion and anxiety of matters that are not for planning that other agencies have the necessary powers for.”
In her written objections Cllr Stevens had raised concerns about fire regulations, kitchen safety, toilets and access to the rear of the building. The town council had also raised concerns about first aid and liability for injuries related to the skate ramp.
Conservative councillor for Mitchell Troy and Trellech Jayne McKenna said she was in favour of the development: “As the parent of young children, and I don’t live in Caldicot, I would very much welcome this sort of development. I would know my children were in a safe and warm space and I could go off and do what I want to do in town.”
Her party colleague, Goetre Fawr member Jan Butler, said a soft play area would appeal to “mums with small children” and added: “There’s also a desperate need for facilities for older children and boys in particular, but I know girls also skate.”
Chepstow Labour councillor Dale Rooke said he was concerned about pedestrian access from the car park back of the building where a roller shutter door leads to the skate ramp. Caldicot West End Labour member Jill Bond asked if a condition could prevent anyone accidentally ramming the door with youngsters using the ramp the other side of it.
The change of use permission was approved and Cllr Rooke suggested an advisory note be attached related to safe public access to the rear of the building.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here