AN APPEAL has been lodged in a bid to overturn a council decision rejecting plans to convert a rugby team’s former clubhouse into housing.

Blaenau Gwent council refused plans to convert the former home of Llanhilleth Rugby Football Club into a 17-bedroom HMO (House in Multiple Occupation) and a two-bedroom manager’s flat earlier this year.

A planning application says the derelict building could be converted for use by a homelessness charity or a social housing organisation.

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But council planners said the proposals have “inadequate onsite parking provision” which would have a “detrimental impact” on road safety.

Ten parking spaces are proposed to serve the development, which the council says is short of the 22 expected for the site.

The authority also says that eight of the proposed spaces fail to meet a minimum length parking requirement of 4.8 metres.

Planning officers raised concern that “any parked vehicles jutting out into the highway would cause a hazard to road users, with passing vehicles potentially having to break suddenly or take evasive action by crossing the centreline of the road to avoid possible collisions with parked vehicles”.

But an appeal lodged against the decision says Blaenau Gwent council has “no specific policy” about parking standards in relation to HMOs.

It says the plans require two spaces to serve the manager’s flat, and that the remaining eight spaces proposed “would be considered as surplus of the requirement”.

“It is argued that as these policies have not been breached by the proposal, that there would not be detrimental impact on safe, effective and efficient use of the transportation network,” a grounds of appeal statement says.

The appeal also says that parking surveys have shown there are further spaces available in the area to serve the development.

Under the plans, 10 bedrooms, three communal bathrooms, a lounge, kitchen and TV area would be on the ground floor.

A further seven-bedroom, along with three bathrooms and a communal kitchen, would be located on the second floor.

The 19th century building, originally built as a hotel, was occupied by Llanhilleth Rugby Football Club for nearly 37 years until it moved out in 2012.

A planning inspector will consider the appeal in the coming months.