A LLANDRINDOD Wells hotel that previously went to market for over £1 million has been earmarked as an ideal property to address the spa town’s growing affordable housing need.

The Glen Usk Hotel was once a gem of Llandrindod architecture but has now stood closed for more than four years.

It has fallen into such a dilapidated state since shutting in early 2020 that in December 2021 falling slates from its roof led to an emergency road closure.

As part of analysis undertaken by Powys County Council in its Local Development Plan (LDP), the building, which is more than 125 years old, has been identified as a “previously developed land opportunity”.

In a draft version of the local authority’s LDP, the Glen Usk – which sits on South Crescent – has been ringfenced as an ideal venue to address Llandrindod’s housing needs and supply.

In the Powys Replacement Local Development Plan (2022-2037) document, it is revealed that 179 people locally are on the common housing land register waiting list.

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The Glen Usk, built in 1897 at the height of Llandrindod’s fame when it became a spa town beloved by tourists, boasts 79-letting bedrooms plus a large capacity ballroom on the lower ground floor.

The hotel was put on the market in 2019, priced at £1.25m, and while two informal offers materialised over a 9-month period, both fell through for various reasons.

The hotel is owned by the UK Holiday Group, which runs a coach tours business. The owners submitted a pre-planning application in March 2023, hoping to transform it into a mixed-use development, including 18 residential flats.

Llandrindod South county councillor Pete Roberts revealed the news, lauding the dilapidated hotel as a “prime site” and welcoming proposals, at least in principle.

“In principle this is a very significant contribution to the housing shortage in town and one which hopefully will be deliverable in a relatively short timeframe,” Councillor Roberts had said.

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The proposal sought planning permission for the change of use of the vacant hotel to a dual use mix comprising of residential flats on floors 1-3 and miscellaneous commercial use on the basement, lower ground and ground floors.

Initial pre-application discussions were undertaken with PCC in November 2021, with the local authority’s feedback confirming that the change of use was considered acceptable, subject to appropriate evidence of the existing hotel no longer being viable.

With no further progress on this seemingly made, the mantle to regenerate such a grand building is now being taken up by the local authority.

As part of the LDP, the council said it has five current housing project commitments in Llandrindod, as of April 2024.

These include a 50-unit project at Crab Tree Green, Brookland Road; 69 houses in the Lakeside Avenue area; and 79 homes as part of a project in the Ithon Road part of town.

Planning permission has commenced at Ithon Road and Lakeside Avenue, but not at Crab Tree Green; nor at two smaller developments, at Gate Farm and Lindens Walk.

If all five projects come to fruition, it would mean 213 new homes being built in town.