Abersychan home plan next to chapel rejected for third time

The house would have been built within the curtilage of the former Snatchwood Methodist Chapel, Abersychan on land filled with rubble and waste materials. 

Torfaen Borough Council’s planning department originally rejected the proposal in August last year and that decision was upheld on appeal and now “largely similar” plans have again been rejected by planners. 

The application, submitted by Alan Wall of Reading, was for outline permission which would have meant many details would have only had to be provided for approval at a later date. 

The council originally rejected the application due to a lack of parking provision and as no noise impact report was submitted, with the area then recently identified as a Noise Action Plan Priority Area by the Welsh Government.   

A plan has now been prepared and the council accepted noise issues could be managed but said it still isn’t satisfied with parking arrangements, which were also a reason for the previous refusal. 

At appeal Mr Wall argued the council should have allowed, as it did with his approved scheme to convert the chapel to residential accommodation, parking for the new house could be provided at the public car park at the junction of Union Street/Broad Street. 

But the planning inspector agreed with the council that re-using a historic building for residential purposes is different to a brand new development and dismissed the appeal on grounds of insufficient parking. 

For the new application Mr Wall indicated there is on-street parking on Lock Up Lane, which is accessed from Union Street, which planners assumed was being put forward as a potential solution as no further details on parking were provided. 

But they said the highways department objected as the land isn’t in Mr Wall’s control and the lane is also used to access garages. 

Planning officer Tom Braithwaite said there was no evidence presented o capacity on the lane or the loss of on-street parking wouldn’t have an “adverse impact on the vitality, viability and attractiveness of the town centre”. 

He also noted: “There is also concern that this ‘back lane’ location, which although has some street lighting, is somewhat isolated and has poor surveillance. Therefore, parking in this area, particularly at night, could be intimidating and an uncomfortable experience for drivers. As such, it could result in drivers not utilising this road for parking.” 

He said while the new application had overcome some of the reasons for refusal it failed to provide off-street parking or justify why the plan to use space on Lock Up Lane was included and as a result the application was refused.