Plans revealed to turn former toilet block into food and drink kiosk
PLANS have been revealed to turn a former public toilet into a food and drinks outlet.
An application has been lodged with Bridgend County Council to change the former toilet block in the village of Nantymoel into a kisok.
The kiosk, which would be open between 7.30am and 2.30pm if approved, would sell coffee, teas, snacks, cakes, fresh sandwiches, rolls and crisps.
Developers, Plan R Ltd said that due to the “restrictive” proposed opening hours of the shop, the impact of indiscriminate parking would be significantly reduced.
The toilet block on Ogwy Street has been vacant for five years.
A planning statement from Plan R Ltd said that the new kiosk would be “very popular with the growing number of cyclists who use the Bwlch as a cycling training ground”.
The plans are the latest in a long series of proposals to transform former South Wales toilet blocks, with similar schemes having already been revealed for a Grade II listed block next to the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff city centre, and a completed transformation which saw toilets at Cardiff’s Victoria Park turned into the Bloc Coffee shop in 2018.
Cafe Castan in Cardiff’s Pontcanna Fields was opened on the site of the park’s former toilets in 2012.
There are also long-delayed plans in the pipeline to turn a Grade II listed toilet block at Barry Island’s Nell’s Point into four restaurants.
Elsewhere, a number of unrelated plans have also been lodged with Bridgend Council recently.
Plans have been unveiled to turn an “eyesore” former hair and beauty salon in Nantyffyllon near Maesteg into accommodation.
Applicant BAH Properties has applied to turn the ground floor of the former salon on Picton Street into flats.
The application also proposes to turn the rear ground and lower ground floor two bedroom flat into two self-contained flats.
The applicants are seeking to retain the first floor two-bedroom flat.
Developers, Vacro Consultants Ltd, said in a support statement: “The existing property is in vacant and dilapidated condition presently representing an eyesore along the existing street scene and making little to no contribution to the positive outlook of the locality.
“The property appears to have been vacant for some time and in need of repair and regeneration. Our client has explored various options to bring the property back into beneficial occupation, and concludes that the conversion of property to accommodate three apartments would represent the most viable option in facilitating this process.”
The former salon is entirely separate from the existing salon, Ceri’s Salon, which is next door.
And elsewhere in Bridgend county, Power Initiatives Ltd have lodged an application for the installation of a battery energy storage facility.
Also included in the application are proposals for a substation, underground cabling and ancillary infrastructure and equipment to include security fence, CCTV and gates.
A planning statement by developers, Aardvark EM Ltd, says that the battery energy storage facility (BESS) is designed to “capture energy and use it at a later predetermined date. These systems complement intermittent sources of energy such as wind, tidal and solar power to balance energy production and consumption.
“In addition, BESS can provide system security by supplying energy during electricity outages, minimising the disruption and costs associated with power outages.”