Plans to convert an ‘eyesore’ 1960s flat-roof betting shop to a home in Aberaeron have been turned down.
Permission was sought from Ceredigion planners to convert the former Wright Bookmakers on Castle Lane, to a one-bed dwelling, with the removal of a flat roof and a first-floor extension.
The bookies, in a 1965 building in the town’s conservation area to the rear of the Prince of Wales public house, closed in 2018, and is described as “falling into a state of disrepair”.
A supporting statement said the current building is “not providing a sympathetic approach in appearance to the setting of the conservation area, and therefore means that it provides little evidential value”.
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It adds: “It is therefore believed that the existing building not only provides no significance to the town of Aberaeron, which portrays a mostly Georgian style vernacular incorporating symmetrical designs and vertically emphasised sash windows, it actually creates an eyesore that is not sympathetic to its surroundings.”
Documents add the “aim of the proposal is to achieve a similar appearance to that of the majority of the conservation area, by creating a dwelling with Georgian-Style elements.”
Two letters of objection to the scheme were received, raising concerns including the design and materials proposed, parking and traffic issues, and visual impact of the extra storey.
An officer report, recommending refusal, said a previous application on the site was refused earlier this year.
The report said: “Whilst [the planning authority] agrees that the loss of the existing building would not be particularly impactful on the conservation area as a whole due to the building being a relatively recent addition to Aberaeron and having little architectural merit given its context, the design for the proposed dwelling is not deemed acceptable.”
It also said affordable housing policy placed a requirement for a commuted sum at the equivalent value of 10 per cent of the open market value, confirmed by independent valuers to be £175,000.
“The applicant has not agreed to enter into a Section 106 agreement to contribute towards affordable housing and the proposal does not comply [with policy].”
The application was refused on the grounds of “inappropriate design that fails to positively contribute to the context of its location and surroundings, due to the sensitivity of its setting within a Conservation area and close proximity to numerous listed buildings” and no formal Section 106 legal agreement being entered into.