Permission Granted for Construction Work to Begin on Pontypool Church Redevelopment Project

PERMISSION is now in place which will allow construction work to begin on a project to bring a derelict church back into use. 
Plans to transform the listed St James Church in the centre of Pontypool into a cafe and eatery and “multi use cultural facility” including a cinema, food market, arts fair and function rooms form part of regeneration scheme that will also see a public toilet block opposite converted to a cafe/restaurant. 
Private developer Richard Miller of Penarth-based Bolwell and Hayward Ltd, is behind the scheme to restore the 205-year-old church on Hanbury Road while Torfaen Borough Council is responsible for the toilet conversion and refurbishment of the nearby Glantorvaen multistorey car park. 
Planning permission for the renovation and conversion of the grade II-listed church was granted in December 2023 with a condition a construction method statement, setting out how noise and other nuisances such as dust, would be controlled as well as parking and delivery arrangements be submitted. 
That document, which had to be approved by the council before construction work could take place, was supplied in August and has now been approved by the planning department. 
A report by the planning department stated the highways and environmental health departments are satisfied with the actions proposed as is heritage officer Ross Cannon but he queried why hoardings put up around the church haven’t been decorated. 
Mr Cannon thought it had been agreed the hoardings would form part of the council’s The Light We Carry mural trail but planning officer Simon Pritchard said when it sought clarification from the applicant, and the planning agent, its emails went unanswered. 
Mr Pritchard’s report said the document satisfied the requirements of the planning conditions and it was approved 
The UK Government has provided £10.5m towards the total project which includes the development of all three buildings.  ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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