Plans to turn former Porth school into social housing

PLANS to turn a former Porth school into social housing are set to go before councillors for a decision.

The application from Cynon Taf Community Housing which would involve the demolition of the former Porth Infants School on Mary Street is due to go before Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s planning committee on Thursday, October 6.

The plan is for 15 affordable homes made up of six two-bed houses and nine one-bed flats.

The houses would be located on the higher north-western side of the site and arranged as two short terraces.

The planning report said the steepness of the site means the internal space would be split over three floors with an enclosed rear garden and two off-street parking spaces per dwelling to the front.

The nine flats would occupy a single block at the lower southern corner of the site and be accessed through communal entrances.

The report said that due to the level changes, the front elevation would appear as a two-storey building but three storeys to the rear and each flat would have a single parking space.

The site would also be landscaped with a mixture of trees, shrubs and native scrub.

It would also have rain gardens, a community garden and raised beds for residents to plant.

No letters of objection were received by the council during the public consultation, the report said.

Planning officers have recommended approval saying the proposed development is located within the settlement boundary where its sustainable location and the beneficial re-use of this previously developed land would comply with the policies in the Local Development Plan and Welsh planning policy.

They said:

“The design and layout of the development would provide an attractive use of the former school site and would be of an appearance and scale appropriate to the surrounding properties and street scene.”

They also said the fact that 100% of the properties would be affordable dwellings would provide a “welcome contribution towards local housing needs”.