ONE of Powys’ more recent, not to mention famous, residents has been familiarising herself with her new surroundings this week.

Singer Charlotte Church revealed earlier this week that she plans to renovate Laura Ashley's former home near Rhayader by giving it a new lease of life. The 35-year-old Voice of an Angel star bought the stunning Rhydoldog House, just outside Rhayader, for £1.5 million a few months ago, and revealed on her Instagram account on Tuesday she has ambitious plans to transform it into a new healing and retreat centre.

In further news that followed on Wednesday, the Cardiff native announced that she’ll be starring in a new reality TV series about her new life in the picturesque and tranquil Mid Wales countryside.

Charlotte Church: Building the Dream will follow her and her young family transforming the stunning Elan Valley home into a holiday retreat, a wellness centre and a wedding venue. It is expected to be shown later this year on Discovery Plus.

And, as she continues to acquaint herself with her new surroundings, Charlotte paid a visit to Montgomeryshire charity the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) on Thursday. The centre is an environmental education charity providing practical solutions for sustainability and Charlotte was no doubt picking the brains of CAT experts – as she wants sustainability to be a huge factor in the renovation project.

On a new Rhydoldog House website describing future plans, a statement said: “The house currently draws 80 per cent of its energy from an onsite hydro-mill and we will be installing solar panels to make up the other 20 per cent. The water for the house comes from a borehole onsite.

“A fundamental part of the mission is to be as sustainable and have as little impact upon the environment as possible.”

CAT posted a picture of Charlotte on its Twitter page on Thursday, saying: “Look who stopped by for a visit! Lovely to welcome @charlottechurch to CAT on this beautiful spring day.”

Charlotte said she will transform the picturesque 47-acre property into a community that will help people “reconnect with themselves and the natural world” following a turbulent year brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

Applications are being welcomed from the public for people to join the project. For more information, visit the website at https://rhydoldog.wixsite.com/my-site or email your application to rhydoldog@gmail.com.