WORK to restore a derelict church in a prominent town centre location could soon take a step forward.
Plans to bring the former St James’ Church back into use for the first time in nearly 30 years as an entertainment venue were given a boost when a bid for UK Government Levelling Up funding was approved in January 2023.
However during the past three years there has been little activity at the grade II-listed church, in the Pontypool Conservation Area. Linked projects to convert the Hanbury Road public toilets, opposite the church, to a cafe/ restaurant and revamp the nearby Glantorvaen multistorey car park have had to be rethought on a number of occasions due to rising costs.
The latest set of proposals for the toilet conversion and car park were due to be considered by the council’s planning committee on Wednesday, April 8.
The UK Government had awarded £7.6 million towards the £9.3m Pontypool Cultural Hub and Cafe Quarter project. Plans for the toilets and car park are led by Torfaen Borough Council with a private developer behind the conversion of St James’ Church to cafe/eatery and multi-use cultural facility with function rooms including a food market and cinema.
The council’s planning department approved a planning application which includes changes to the building in December 2023. The permission included the standard condition that work has to begin within five years.
The planning department is now considering an application to put up three metre high plywood hoardings, that will be painted matt white, around the site for security.
The application, made by Richard Miller of Penarth-based Bolwell and Hayward Ltd, is described as site security hoardings and part of enabling works.
Double gates
There will also be double gates for vehicle access to the site and a single pedestrian gate.
Details of the location of the hoardings and likely materials have been provided to the planning department which is considering the application.
St James’ was built in 1821, as a Chapel of Ease to St Cadoc’s Trevethin which was the parish church at the time, and the land was gifted by ironmaster Capel Hanbury Leigh, whose family financed the industrialisation of Pontypool.
A heritage report, submitted with the 2023 application, said the gifting of the land illustrated the linguistic, industrial and religious history of 19th century south Wales: “The land was given by Capel Hanbury Leigh with the aim of providing a home to the English-speaking congregation of Pontypool following concern that more local people were going to non-conformist places of worship.”