Plans to convert the ground floor of a former Welsh pub and Chinese takeaway into residential accommodation have been refused after the applicants and council planners could not agree on the property's valuation and the resulting affordable housing contribution.
The former Red Cow pub and Super Garden Chinese takeaway in Adpar, near Newcastle Emlyn, has been vacant since the takeaway closed. Krista Jones, acting through agent Castle Arch Designs Ltd, applied to Ceredigion Council for a change of use of the ground floor from a hot food takeaway to a residential dwelling.
Property history and proposal
A supporting statement submitted via JMS Planning & Development said: "The property was most recently used as a hot food takeaway, having previously operated as a public house. As such, it has fallen within Use Class A3 for many years."
It added: "However, it has remained vacant since the closure of the Super Garden Chinese takeaway. This proposal seeks to convert the ground floor of the building into a high-quality, three-bedroom residential unit, contributing to the local housing supply and helping to meet ongoing demand in Adpar and the surrounding area."
The statement continued: "The proposal seeks to sensitively redevelop a currently vacant and underutilised building (ground floor) by delivering a high-quality residential unit in a location that is demonstrably sustainable. The site benefits from excellent accessibility to a range of local services, facilities, shops and public transport connections, all within close proximity to Newcastle Emlyn."
Valuation dispute
The application included a proposal for a financial contribution towards affordable housing in the county. The contribution, fixed at 10 per cent of the open market value of a finished unit, became the point of contention.
An officer report advising refusal said: "An applicant provided valuation has been presented as part of the application at hand, indicating a valuation of £85,000 for the resulting unit of accommodation, yielding a 10 per cent commuted sum of £8,500."
The report added that a third-party valuation procured by the council's in-house planners compared nearby properties at between £119,000 and £180,000, with the official valuation for the proposed unit at £160,000, giving a commuted sum of £16,000. That figure was not accepted by the applicant or agent.
The authority proposed a compromise of £120,000, described as "a significant 25 per cent reduction of valuation," which was turned down. A "final compromise" of £110,000, representing a commuted sum of £11,000 and "a reduction of some 31.25 per cent from the original third-party valuation obtained by the LPA," was also declined.
Refusal and impact
The application was refused because it did not meet the 10 per cent affordable housing contribution requirement, as it "fails to make an appropriate contribution towards the provision of affordable housing and is therefore unacceptable."
The Red Cow shut its doors as a pub in 2017.
