A COUPLE given planning permission for supported living accommodation for vulnerable young people are now seeking approval for accommodation for a manager.
The intention is to convert a crumbling former coach house, which is behind the main property known as Gorse House in Upper Cwmbran, to a two-bedroom home.
Kirsty Bryson, who is a nationally qualified youth worker, and partner Sandy were given change of use planning permission in November last year allowing them to use Gorse House as supported living accommodation for up to seven 16-to-25 year-olds leaving care.
As a condition of the approval the use as supported living accommodation, which is tied to the applicants rather than the land, will expire on November 10, 2025, unless an application is made to vary or remove it. It was also stated any residential use of outbuildings would require the council’s permission.
Mr Bryson has now submitted a planning application to Torfaen Borough Council seeking change of use of a vacant agricultural building, which is understood to date back to the 1800s, to a residential property.
A statement submitted as part the planning application says: “The purpose of the conversion of the coach house is to provide on-site permanent living accommodation for the manager and her family of the supported living accommodation provided on site.”
When the application for the supported living accommodation was approved there were 19 objections and local resident Chris Harris, who said he wasn’t opposed to the application, outlined his fears it would result in traffic chaos in the area.
He said he feared increased traffic on the narrow Graig Road and that young people living there would be using food delivery services regularly. A report by the council’s planning department said it wasn’t anticipated the application would generate significantly more traffic than a large family house.
The report submitted as part of the new application, which includes two parking spaces for the proposed new house, states there would be additional traffic: “It would not be materially different to the situation approved by (the previous) application in that there would be no additional vehicle movements or parking demand as a result of the proposed conversion.”
It said the existing access to the properties would be used which it said are satisfactory.
The intention is to retain the “typical features” of agricultural outbuildings with no new doors or windows added and “a significant amount of the existing building will be retained as part of the conversion.” Some adaptations to the building have previously been made.
The applicants say they are willing to agree any new materials that will need to be used with the planning department while it isn’t thought the building is used by bats or birds but further survey work will be carried out.