Rhondda Powerhouse, empty for 50 years and site of historic riots, will be transformed into 70 apartments.
A council committee said they had to do something. Otherwise, the building will just crumble. The plan passed on March 6th. They will convert the old engine house into 44 new apartments.
Two new buildings will hold 24 more flats on Llwynypia Road. The report said the Powerhouse is falling apart. It’s been empty for a long time, and the site is overgrown and a mess.
It needs a lot of fixing. It must be improved to survive. The current Powerhouse will stay mostly as is. They need to make some small changes to look better, and they will also update it for safety.
The inside, however, will be very different. It needs big changes to fit 44 flats. The flats won’t be affordable housing, and developers say that wouldn’t work financially.
Someone wrote a letter, thinking the Powerhouse is very important as a key industrial building. The person said to make it a community resource. Preserve its history through good improvements, they argued, since the area already has enough flats.
A petition got 562 signatures. It asked the council to buy it for a community space. One councilor wanted to save it greatly, wishing it would become a community building.
But owners found renovation costs were too high. A group collected £200,000, which was “just a drop in the ocean.” She was happy the flats met quality standards, but sad there was no social housing.
Lower sales could change that, however. Another councilor called it a “marvellous opportunity,” noting the building had been an eyesore for years. Another said do something, or it will collapse.
She felt it would boost the economy, and housing demand also needs help. One councilor lamented the extra flats, thinking they were a shame. He thinks new flat owners will own cars, creating parking problems.
Planners said the Powerhouse matters to everyone. It was central to an important cultural event. No one wanted to fix the site for 50 years, and it’s dangerous now.
If we don’t fix it, the building will disappear. The project will reuse this site well, saving the building. The project improves the area.
The new buildings caused worry. Their size and design seemed problematic. But, they allow the project to happen. Their location was revised. They are acceptable visually, and hopefully won’t hurt the listed building.
The interior changes also worried some. The report said changes were a must to ensure a practical future for the site. The councilors had concerns about affordable housing.
But the viability study seemed acceptable to them. Since its industrial days, few have shown interest. The rules allow exceptions here. The report calls the lack of affordable housing sad.
But, the proposal feels best now. This plan could save the building and considers special circumstances. Preserving the building outweighs other needs.
The new flats won’t truly bother neighbors. The roads will be safe. Wildlife and drainage impacts will be handled. Overall, the plan follows rules. It should, therefore, gain approval. The plan also needs Cadw’s OK.