Residents have said they feel they are not being listened to regarding the future of St Paul’s Church in Penarth as a they raise concerns over a conversion proposal for 15 one and two bedroom flats and a 300 square metre community space spread over two floors, with the front facade of the listed building due to be maintained.
image Penarth Times website
The Penarth Times writes:
Members of St Paul’s Church Community Group attending a meeting of Penarth Town Council’s democratic and civic services committee last week expressed their concern that residents had not been properly consulted on what they would like to see happen at the church. Representatives from Newydd Housing Association and planning agents White Young Green (WYG) gave a presentation on their plans for the Arcot Street site, which has been left empty since 2011. The proposals are for 15 one and two bedroom flats and a 300 square metre community space spread over two floors with the front facade of the listed building due to be maintained.
But the three public speakers all expressed their concern about the lack of consultation with the community. Kate Davies from the St Paul’s Community Group said: ‘Local people are upset about St Paul’s because the engagement has has been shocking for years. The responsible Vale of Glamorgan cabinet elected members have made decisions on this in a mysterious manner.
Between March 2015 and February 2017 there were no cabinet meetings about St Pauls, yet two fundamental decisions happened. The Community Interest Company (CIC) proposal was rejected and it was decided to approach registered social landlords to deliver a mixed use development – a u-turn from solely community facilities. Nobody asked the community their thoughts nor mentioned that the Vale of Glamorgan council was heading in a new direction.’
She said the group wanted to know how the decision was made, who made it and why there was such secrecy around it.
Tim Land, also from the group, said: ‘There are more than 1200 dwellings within a 500 metre radius of the site. It is one of the most densely populated areas of Penarth but some people say they have not received any consultation documents.’
A public exhibition was held in September at the Paget Rooms for residents to view the plans. Jon Hurley from WYG said that they had delivered letters and flyers in the local area, displayed the plans outside the building itself and held a public consultation event at the Paget Rooms which was ‘well attended’. They also held a separate exercise in the form of a survey to assess what people wanted for the community space. Mr Hurley said it allowed them to have a ‘greater understanding of how the community space could be put to use’. ‘It opened a dialogue which is really useful,’ he said. ‘We want something that works for everyone.’
A spokesman for the Vale of Glamorgan council said the property was marketed in late 2014 and early 2015 after cabinet approved a development for community/recreational uses or as a mixed-use scheme.
