A school uniform shop in Cwmbran town centre is moving to a new location after 62 years in the same spot.

In 2010 Pretty Miss, a family-owned business, celebrated its 50th anniversary of serving customers from Caradoc Road. It’s the town centre’s only original shop left trading.

A planning application has been approved by Torfaen Council to change the use of the site from A1 (shops etc) to A3 (sale of food or drink on or off the premises).

L & C Investments Limited, the applicant, said in a statement given to planners that: “The premises relate to a unit currently occupied by a clothes store (Pretty Miss) and is situated between Dominos and Papa Johns, premises have a large rear yard which provides access to the rear service yard. The business has occupied these premises for many years but given its location between two Class A3 units, it is now going to relocate elsewhere in the Cwmbran Shopping Centre…The proposal is for a change of use from Class A1 retail to Class A3. No alterations are proposed to the property. The proposed opening hours are 9am to 11pm Monday to Sunday. These are similar to other Class A3 opening times in the Shopping Centre.”

The new location of Pretty Miss or when the move will take place is not included in this decision over the unit’s change of use.

‘Noise from extraction units’

During the consultation the council’s public health warned about an increase in noise affecting the residents of the flats above the three shops. The team said: “Public Health advise that no details of extraction noise and odour control from the proposal have been submitted. We advise that the LPA (local planning authority) need to be aware of the potential for an increase in the cumulative noise from extraction units in this location having a detrimental affect on the amenity of residential accommodation in the flats above.”

Permission was approved for the change of use on 16 June 2022.