A PROPERTY developer has lodged plans with Blaenau Gwent planners to split a former town centre shop into several retail and commercial units and put flats above it.

Ross Cable, of Cable Properties Limited, has applied for the “subdivision of ground floor retail premises to create four commercial/retail units” at number 60 Beaufort Street in Brynmawr.

Mr Cable then intends to convert the first and second floors into six self-contained residential apartments comprising a mix of one- and two-bedroom self-contained apartments.

This will be the second project that Mr Cable has applied for planning permission for on Beaufort Street in the last year.

Planning agent Paul Parsons, of Creation Designs, explained the proposal in a planning statement.

Mr Parsons said: “The site is located on Beaufort Street, the principal commercial street in Brynmawr, surrounded by retail, commercial, community and residential uses.

“The building comprises three storeys with existing commercial rooms on the ground floor and office storage space on the upper floors.”

Mr Parsons believes that the proposal conforms to Planning Policy Wales in that it is “reusing” an existing building sustainably and “supports town centre vitality” through having “new commercial floorspace”.

The retail units will front onto Beaufort Street, while a new entrance will be created for the commercial units.

The plans also show that two of the flats will be small one-bedroom units.

The other four flats will have two bedrooms, and three of these are described as being “large two-bedroom apartments”, with the internal floorspace being 81 square metres, 88.9 square metres and 90 square metres.

Mr Parsons said: “The redevelopment represents a sustainable, policy-compliant reuse of a vacant building.

“It delivers economic benefits, supports town centre viability and produces high-quality residential units.

“The proposal accords with national and local planning policy and should be supported by the local planning authority.”

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A decision on the application is expected by September 7.