TWO planning applications have been submitted for the multi-million pound conversion of the Grade II listed  Neuadd Maldwyn in Welshpool.

Clwyd Alyn Housing Association has applied for listed build consent and conservation area consent for the former Powys County Council office.

The association wants to redevelop and extend the building on Severn Street into an independent living ‘extra care’ type scheme, of 66 flats and associated facilities.

These will be a mixture of one and two bed apartments for older people at the building, which was once the headquarters of Montgomeryshire County Council.

In a heritage impact statement, Edward Holland said: “Neuadd Maldwyn has been important as a place of employment, as one of the largest employers of office staff in Welshpool.

“The council chamber was a centre of debate and policy on local matters from the early 1960s until this function was transferred to Powys County Council in the 1970s.”

However, he added that the need for an extra care facility in Welshpool has been identified, and that it can be met by converting the building and adding a new three-storey block at the back of it.

Part of the scheme includes demolishing buildings that are not seen to be of historic value.

Mr Holland added: “The architectural character of the building is substantially retained. It merits its Grade II-listed status and every effort has been made to preserve it.

“It has also been demonstrated that that Neuadd Maldwyn has a strong group value with other buildings on Severn Street all within the Welshpool Conservation Area.

“In conclusion Neuadd Maldwyn is a fine example of a neo-Georgian building, a style that flourished in the 1920s and was popular for private and public buildings.”

Usually listed building consent is obtained from the local planning authority, which in this case is Powys Council, but because the authority owns the building the application will be decided by Welsh Government ministers.

The potential conversion of Neuadd Maldwyn has seen a ri-jig for council staff and services in Welshpool.

To accommodate the move, the library has been moved into Powysland Museum, and staff previously based at Neuadd Maldwyn will be expected to work at the vacant library building on Brook Street.

Campaigners in Welshpool fought a losing battle against the library’s closure.

The co-located library and museum have now been rebranded as Y Lanfa/ The Wharf, which was due to open at the end of March.

The scheme is one of three Extra Care Facilities that the council is planning in the county, at an estimated worth of more than £13 million.

The other schemes are earmarked for Ystradgynlais and Brecon.

The first extra care scheme in Powys, Llys Glan yr Afon in Newtown, opened in 2017.

A pre-application consultation on the Welshpool plans closed on April 26.