Hopes for riverside gym in Welsh town blocked by planners
An application before Ceredigion Council planners sought permission for a change of use of an industrial unit
Cardigan in Ceredigion
(Image: Richard Williams)
Planners have turned down proposals to transform a storage facility on a Cardigan riverside industrial estate into a new gym. Nathan Bowen had applied to Ceredigion Council seeking approval for a change of use at Unit 12, Station Road, which would have included changing rooms, toilets, and related modifications.
Cardigan RFC had backed the proposals. A supporting document submitted via agent Archi-Tech explained: "The project involves predominantly converting the interior of the existing building, with only new accesses and ramps created externally and introduction of large windows for light.
"The interior and exterior works pose negligible risks of any ecological habitats, as careful consideration has gone into the design to minimise the impact of these habitats." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here .
An officer's report advising rejection stated: "It is considered that the change of use of the premises from Class B to D2 does not reflect nor enhance the role of the site as it is not in line with the relevant site schedule, which seeks to: 'Maximise use of remaining land and the redevelopment and/or rationalisation of existing site to provide for B1, B2 and B8 uses'.
"It protects and enhances the existing B1, B2, B8 and complementary sui generis use of the site; and the development would result in the loss of a B-class use. A D2 use is not considered a complementary use of the site."
The report further detailed that the property had been taken over by a suitable B-class operation as of August 2024, with the purpose of storing goods, noting that the shift towards an alternative use was "not on the basis of the commercial unviability of the B-class use – rather the commercial desire of the current tenant".
It continued: "The Local Planning Authority therefore considers that until a formal marketing period has been carried out to evidence the lack of viability of the existing B-class use, an application to change its use is premature and therefore represents an unjustified loss of employment land, in conflict of LDP policies LU11 and LU13."
The planning application was turned down because the proposed change of use "is considered to be premature as no formal marketing exercise has been undertaken to evidence that the employment facility in its present use class is no longer viable," and the authority was "not satisfied that the loss of the existing use would preserve the integrity [of the allocated site]."
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