The Courtyard, Ty Glas Avenue, Cardiff
KEW Planning was invited to provide planning advice and subsequent town planning services to Cerebral Palsy Cymru, to secure a change of use at their new Therapy Centre and offices in Cardiff.
The planning application sought the change of use of the building from warehouse and distribution (Class B2) to offices and therapy treatment rooms, with ancillary shop and family accommodation (sui generis). The internal refurbishment works comprised of the creation of the following:
- New reception area
- Creation of 8no. therapy rooms (4 of which can be joined to form one room)
- Accessible toilets/changing area
- Family support room/suite and kitchen area
- Assisted Living area. This is to facilitate therapy for older children/adults to learn ‘life skills. This area would also double up as space for families who have travelled a long distance for treatment
The property is located within a designated employment area (EC1.7) and the loss of employment floorspace was the primary planning issue to address. The provision of the office space on the first floor and introduction of treatment space on the ground floor mitigated against any loss in employment space, due to the increased employee density attributed to these uses. The employment density for the existing warehouse was low and the property had been vacant for a number of months. It was argued that the proposed use and function of the premises would not result in the net loss of employment at the site. The application was approved within 5 weeks of determination by delegated powers.
“We were delighted that KEW Planning was able to help us with the planning aspect, as this was a significant milestone project for our charity. KEW Planning provided sound and helpful advice at all times, answering questions swiftly and with expert knowledge.”
Beci Jones, Head of Finance and Operations, Cerebral Palsy Cymru