Village pub housing plan approved

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for nine houses in the car park of a former Four Crosses pub have been approved by Powys planners.

Milton Keynes-based Eaglescourt Development submitted a fresh application to build nine houses in July last year, with five of them to be affordable homes, on the site which is north of the former The Four Crosses Inn. They would be a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom houses.

The principle for developing the site was settled when a previous outline planning application for seven affordable homes was approved in 2020.

The new proposal was objected to by Llandysilio Community Council, which covers the village, when they discussed the application last summer stating: “The council is very disappointed with the proposals suggested for this site and wish to object to the application.”

The council argues that the site is an “important visual gateway” into the village and that the design is out of keeping with the rest of Four Crosses.

They said the plans might be acceptable in an “urban setting” but not for a rural location such as Four Crosses.

The council also pointed out that the village has already “met its quota” for housing development under the Local Development Plan (LDP) and said that 72 properties, including 23 affordable homes, have been built in Four Crosses, with another 16 having received planning consent during the life of the plan, which ended on March 31.

Due to this they “do not feel there is any justification” for another scheme which strays outside the village boundary.

They also point out that the pub has become dilapidated, even though planning permission exists.

Planning agents, Hughes Architects, explained the proposal in a planning statement and said: “This is a resubmission of an application previously submitted in 2023. The existing public house adjacent to the site has been disused for some time and has the benefit of a valid planning approval for three three-bedroom units.

“There has been a determined attempt to create a development which provides much needed open market and affordable housing with a good use of land.”

They believe that highway and surface drainage issues with the site have now been resolved.

“We are of the opinion that there are now no technical obstacles to this application,” said Hughes Architects.

Senior Planning Officer, Kate Bowen, said: “It is considered that Four Crosses has the capacity to accommodate the proposed development.

“Following a site inspection, the Highway Authority has advised that nine dwellings is above that expected on a private road.

“But given the former use (as a pub) served by the access and planning history (approved outline consent), the Highway Authority expects to see a management company set up to maintain the roads in the future.

“There is a risk of surface water flooding to the site, and the SAB (Sustainable Drainage Approval Body) team have confirmed that a SAB application has been approved for this site.

“Whilst the concerns over the condition of the adjacent former public house are appreciated, planning permission cannot be refused on the basis of the condition of the public house.”

She went on to approve the scheme.