Pendragon pub plan decision upheld after appeal by applicant

South Wales Argus

2 days ago

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council's Planning committee on Thursday, June 5 councillors were told of the successful appeal defence by development management team manager Steph Hopkin.
She told councillors of the result as part of a number of updates that are a regular agenda item at committee meeting covering on ongoing appeals and Developments of National Significance.
Mrs Hopkins said: 'On the Penndragon in Oak Street in Abertillery since we wrote of the report the decision has come through following the hearing on April 1.
'I can confirm the case was dismissed and the application for costs was refused.'
Mrs Hopkins told councillors a report on the appeal out would be presented at the next committee meeting.
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In September 2023, Thomas Lewis of the Highmore Group lodged a planning application with Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to convert the former Pendragon pub on Oak Street from a vacant care facility back into a public house with rooms for let.
In November 2023 planning officers rejected the proposal, and they judged it to be 'contrary' to policies in the county's Local Development Plan (LDP).
Council planners said that approving the application: 'would generate a level of increased noise and disruption detrimental to the amenity of neighbouring residential properties.'
The building had been a pub until it's closure in 2014 and had at one stage been the home of Abertillery rugby club.
In 2015 a planning application to change its use to a 'mixed use support facility' was granted permission by the authority.
But the care facility closed in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mr Highmore's lodged his appeal with PEDW last year and a hearing into the issues was held on April 1.
Welsh Government appointed planning inspector Ian Stevens then visited the site on April 2.
Mr Stevens said: 'At the hearing I heard from residents living close by of past issues when the building was a public house, including alcohol-related incidents of noisy and anti-social behaviour outside the premises including late at night, which caused disturbance to residents nearby.
'I appreciate that I do not have any historical records before me of formal
complaints made to relevant bodies.
'However, the residents' anecdotal descriptions are compelling and point to the intimate relationship between the appeal property and adjacent dwellings.'
Mr Steven ssaid that it was suggested at the hearing that these issues could be addressed through the approved premises licence.
But he explained that that a premises licence and planning application are not assessed in the same way.
He was also referred to the other nearby pubs for comparison.
But the flaw in doing this is that a 'direct comparison' cannot be formed because of the different circumstances around each of them.
Mr Stevens said: 'I have found that the effects of development on future occupants in the letting rooms could be managed through internal acoustic treatment.
'However, the comings and goings of patrons including the use of external areas so close to residential properties would, through increased noise and disturbance compared with its existing lawful use, cause unreasonable harm to living conditions of nearby occupiers.'
Due to this he believed the proposal is contrary to policy in the Local Development Plan.
Mr Stevens said: 'For the reasons given and having regard to all other matters raised, I conclude that the appeal should be dismissed.'
He also dismissed the appeal for costs.