Former HSBC Bank in Brecon could become a restaurant, plans suggest

A FORMER bank within a listed building in a Powys town could be converted into a restaurant,  if plans lodged with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA) are approved.
Mr Hughes of Calder and Co has submitted a “no-works planning application” for the change of use of the former HSBC Bank at number five High Street Inferior in Brecon into a restaurant with a dwelling upstairs.
The former bank is a Grade II listed building.
Planning agent Samuel Organ of CO2 architect explained: “This application proposes a careful and proportionate no-works change of use for a prominent building in the centre of Brecon.
“The proposal would secure a viable mixed use comprising a restaurant and a dwelling house, bring an underused listed building back into beneficial occupation, and reinforce the role of Brecon town centre as the primary service and visitor hub within the national park.
“The site is within the established commercial core of the town, close to St Mary’s Church, the Town Hall and surrounding shops and services.
“The building is listed and the architectural quality of this building and the wider townscape are especially important planning considerations.”
Mr Organ stressed that the proposal is: “expressly a no-works application.”
This means that there will be:  “No extension, no demolition, no external alteration and no internal operational development.”
Mr Organ explained this application is only about the ” land-use change.”
Mr Organ said: “The restaurant would occupy the principal banking hall / front part of the building and associated rooms, while the residential element would occupy the remaining part of the building as a single dwelling house.
“A restaurant is an entirely appropriate town centre use, and the residential component assists in ensuring that the building can be brought back into productive occupation.”
Mr Organ continued: “The current application is intentionally limited in scope.
“Any future physical alterations, fit-out works, servicing changes, accessibility works, signage, extraction, plant, shopfront intervention or other fabric changes would, where required, would be the subject of separate applications for planning permission and  listed building consent.
“The proposal therefore provides a mixed-use solution capable of reactivating the frontage and securing occupation of the building as a whole.”
A decision on the application is expected by October 7.
The HSBC bank in Brecon closed in May 2023.
Built in 1913, the building was listed in 1976 because it is a: “strongly -designed early twentieth century bank, and for group value with adjacent listed buildings on this important site in the historic centre of Brecon.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​