A plan to convert one of Machynlleth’s oldest buildings into a 36-room lodge are still moving forward as the first steps of the project have been completed.

Having begun work at the Old Stables in Y Plas in September 2024, a historic building survey has been carried out at the building, a condition that until met meant no major alterations could take place at the 1840s building.

Two conditions that were part of Powys County Council’s approval of the have now been removed, as the council decided that the conditions had been met on Tuesday, October 22.

These conditions included carrying out a programme of building recording and analysis, in line with a brief issued by the planning authority. The condition also asked the developers to ensure that a qualified archaeological contractor was on the site while the survey was carried out.

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Writing in their planning decision, Powys Council said: “No alterations shall take place until a programme of building recording and analysis, equivalent to an Historic England Level 3 building survey, has been secured and implemented, in accordance with a brief issued by the local planning authority and a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted and approved in writing by the local planning authority.

“The survey will be completed by a professional archaeological contractor. The programme of building analysis and recording must meet the standards laid down by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists in their Standard and Guidance for the archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings or structures.

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“The developer shall ensure that a suitably qualified archaeological contractor is present during the groundworks mentioned above so that the archaeological monitoring and recording can be conducted.

"The monitoring and recording must meet the standards laid down by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Monitoring and Recordings.”

The Stables were built in the 1840s for stabling the horses and carriages belonging to the Londonderry family, but since 2007 the Grade II-listed building has been unused and fallen into a state of disrepair.

In 2024 Powys council approved the project to convert the historic building into a “high quality” 36-bedroom lodge.

Funding for the first phase of work, expected to cost £600,000, has been raised from Cadw, Heritage Lottery and the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative.