Subject to Contract SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST IN A PRIME DEVELOPMENT SITE (TOURISM/HOSPITALITY/LEISURE)

PARK LANE, (Site area extends to 0.2 hectares)

The site has been earmarked to provide A PRESTIGIOUS HOTEL LED DEVELOPMENT WITH FOOD AND Offers and expressions of BEVERAGE OFFER. interest are invited for the However, the Council will consider other options (mixed-use development for tourism / freehold interest with hospitality / leisure) that strengthen and vacant possession complement the existing tourism offer associated with the medieval Castle.

(i) The particulars are set out as a general outline only for the guidance of intended purchasers, and do not constitute, nor constitute part of, an offer or contract; (ii) All descriptions, dimensions, references to condition and necessary permissions for use and occupation, and other details are given without responsibility and any intending purchasers should not rely on them as statements or representations of fact but must satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the correctness of each of them; (iii) No person in the employment of Caerphilly County Borough Council has any authority to make or give any representation to warranty whatever in relation to this property; this authority is not bound to accept the highest or any offer.

Subject to Contract LOCATION The site offers a rare opportunity for development in the heart of Caerphilly town centre overlooking the renowned historic Castle.

DESCRIPTION The ‘brown field’ 0.2-hectare site consists of a vacant land and building plot, having direct frontage onto Park Lane and Cardiff Road.

It is positioned to the west of the main shopping street, Cardiff Road; to the north of the site lie Dafydd Williams Park, Caerphilly Castle, and its moat; to the south lie Park Lane and a mix of commercial and residential properties on St Fagans Street; to the east is Cardiff Road, Lloyds TSB, and the Court House public house; to the west is Neuadd y Parc Welfare Hall. SERVICES The site is accessed by an adopted highway forming its southern boundary Intending purchasers should make their own enquires as to the availability and capacity of such CONTACTS services.

ESTATES TENURE & TERMS Penallta House Offers are invited for the freehold interest with Tredomen Park vacant possession. Ystrad Mynach Potential purchasers are advised to contact CF82 7PG Tel: 01443 863333 Caerphilly County Borough Council’s Planning [email protected] Department to obtain further information regarding any Infrastructure Levy requirements. PLANNING Tredomen House PLANS Tredomen Park Any plans and photographs attached are for Ystrad Mynach identification purposes only. Hengoed CF82 7WF Tel: 01443 866416 FEES [email protected] Each party is to be responsible for its own legal and professional fees incurred in the transaction. HIGHWAYS Ty Dyffryn Dyffryn Estate VIEWING Ystrad Mynach The site/land is open and can be viewed Hengoed CF82 7PG Tel: 01495 235157 without appointment.

[email protected] The adjacent property (25 Cardiff Rd) can be viewed by appointment only.

TERMS Offers are invited for the freehold interest and all offers are to be exclusive of any rates, VAT or stamp duty, if applicable. The property is to be sold freehold with vacant possession upon completion

Introduction The Council aspires to bring forward the site for a prestigious hotel and food and beverage development. However, the Council will consider other options (mixed-use development for tourism / hospitality / leisure) that strengthen and complement the existing tourism offer associated with the medieval Castle. This document establishes several key principles for the prospective development and sets out what the Council will expect to be presented as part of any Planning application.

The Site This Council-owned site offers a rare opportunity in the heart of Caerphilly town centre to develop overlooking the renowned historic Castle. It is positioned to the west of the main shopping street, Cardiff Road; to the north of the site lie Dafydd Williams Park, Caerphilly Castle, and its moat; to the south lie Park Lane and a mix of commercial and residential properties on St Fagans Street; to the east is Cardiff Road, Lloyds TSB and listed Court House public house; to the west is Neuadd y Parc Welfare Hall. The site is accessed by an adopted highway forming its southern boundary; Park Lane is currently one-way from west to east exiting onto Cardiff Road, the main shopping street It sits in an enviable position overlooking Caerphilly Castle. It has been cleared in part (with the existing property at 25 Cardiff Road still to be demolished) allowing for future development that will bolster and enhance the current tourism offer. Its unique location adjacent to Caerphilly Castle requires any development to be sympathetic to the ancient scheduled monument but the design should also allow for maximum views out from the site towards the castle, its moat, and Dafydd Williams Park. The site is now largely cleared of buildings, except the former retail unit fronting Cardiff Road, and is a rectangular plot approximately 85m long and 27m wide. As noted, it is bordered to the north by Dafydd Williams Park and overlooks the moat that surrounds Caerphilly Castle, which is to the north of the park; it is estimated that the site is approximately 9m higher than the moat, which means that the site has excellent views over the moat and to the Castle, which is a Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) and a Grade 1 Listed Building having a commanding presence in the heart of the town centre.

Adjacent to the site located within Dafydd Williams Park are a number of mature trees, several of which are protected through TPO’s.

Development Principles The design and development principles included within this brief relate closely to those outlined in:  Planning Policy (Edition 10) December 2018;  Technical Advice Note (TAN) 12: Design, March 2016;  Delivering Great Places to Live – Building For Life (Commission for Architecture & the Built Environment and Home Builders Federation)

The development should also align itself to:

CCBC Local Development Plan (up to 2021): Caerphilly is identified as a ‘Principal Town’ in the Council’s Adopted November 2010 Local Development Plan (LDP). More specifically, Park Lane is identified in both the Local Development Plan (Policy CM4.12) and the adopted Caerphilly Town Centre Action Plan for redevelopment. The Local Development Plan suggests that the site will provide a major mixed-use development for tourism/commercial leisure, although Caerphilly County Borough Council is prepared to consider any suggestions that would facilitate the town centre regeneration whilst strengthening its relationship with and complementing the Caerphilly Castle tourist attraction. The supporting text to Policy CM4.12 states: “This is a central site within the town centre overlooking the famous Castle. Many of the existing buildings on this north side of the lane are either derelict or underused. Because of the prime location it is considered that this area would be an ideal place for commercial leisure development, such as restaurants and wine bars, the provision of which would enhance the town’s tourism potential’. CCBC Regeneration Strategy- A Foundation For Success (2018-2023): A Foundation for Success, which was Adopted by the Council in July 2018, provides a framework for the future regeneration of Caerphilly County Borough, to ensure the maximum positive impact is realised from any major development opportunities/projects. The Strategy focuses on four broad strategic themes, one of which is “Supporting Quality of Life” and the need to develop and exploit existing tourism assets, such as Caerphilly Castle. Helping to “maximise the tourism potential of the County borough as an established tourism destination.” Improvements to the accommodation offer and the leisure and night-time economy remain essential throughout the Borough and the Park Lane development site is a key aspect of this within Caerphilly Town Centre.

Caerphilly Basin MasterPlan (2018): The Adopted (July 2018) Caerphilly Basin Masterplan seeks to build on the existing strengths of Caerphilly to ensure that the town enhances its role as a retail, tourist and employment centre. As per the Plan “Given its elevated site above the Castle, the site offers a real opportunity to create a high quality development overlooking the castle that will increase the tourism offer in the town, which will in turn increase visitor spend and provide job opportunities in the service sector…the site would lend itself to a boutique/independent ‘destination’ hotel potentially including a high end restaurant (B1).”

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Caerphilly Placemaking Plan (2019 -2035): A comprehensive and integrated framework or “Placemaking Plan” is emerging for Caerphilly Town Centre, which has been informed by the Adopted (2018) Caerphilly Basin Masterplan. The ambitious Placemaking Plan, which has been funded by WG develops the vision of the Masterplan to establish Caerphilly as a thriving and vibrant town and tourist destination. The Plan identifies a series of core ambitions for the town, key intervention areas and a series of projects, which provide a blueprint for transformation. Within this context the Park Lane site / opportunity is identified as a critical activity within the “Leisure Core & Castle” aspect of the Plan, which states “Potential new hotel along Park Lane and to the south of Caerphilly Castle; capitalising on views towards the Castle and its grounds.”

Architectural Context: Architectural styles within the town centre vary but the architecture surrounding the development site is pretty similar. The buildings located in close proximity to the development site were predominantly built during the Victorian and Edwardian era, although, notably, the adjacent Court House Public House is the oldest building in Caerphilly (built in the fourteenth century as a purpose built court). The Court House is Grade II listed; its façade is rough cast and features a steep stone tiled roof. The development site also overlooks the largest castle in Wales, and the second largest in Britain. Caerphilly Castle remains a pure example of 13th century military architecture and is Grade I listed and a Scheduled Ancient Monument. There are a number of other listed buildings located close to the development site or near to its access points including the Grade II listed Wesley Methodist Church (built between 1920 – 1930 and of art deco style_ and the Grade II listed Memorial to David Williams. The majority of surrounding buildings were established around 1900 and typically feature stone or brick frontages with eaves and ridge heights having a degree of similarity. Most buildings are two storeys with the exception of some larger buildings that feature roof annexes. Buildings are predominately terraced with the odd detached building offering greater presence in the street scene. There are some exceptions to the common architectural theme surrounding the site, most notably the post-war, flat roofed building located directly to the south of the site, currently occupied by Peacocks. The building backs onto Park Lane and has no frontage therefore presenting a poor image onto Park Lane. As a result, the development will need to minimise its interaction with this property. To the east of the site is The Courthouse Public House, a grade II listed, 2-storey building which also enjoys uninterrupted views of the castle and provides courtyard space for visitors to sit outside. Other commercial buildings on Cardiff Road are also primarily two-storey and originate from a number of eras resulting in a mixture of architectural styles. The most prominent building to the east is the modern Lloyds Bank which is three-storey although the top floor is incorporated into a mansard roof. To the south is St Fagans Street with a mix of commercial and residential uses. At the south-eastern edge is the Peacocks store, a 2 storey box-like building with a flat roof. Beyond that, the street scene is largely domestic with a series of garages facing onto Park Lane.

Ecology: The Park Lane site sits on the boundary of Dafydd Williams Park, a town centre park that provides a green buffer between the castle and its moat and the more modern vistas of the town itself. The development should look to optimise the sites connection with the adjacent urban park.

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The park area to the north of the development site is occupied by several mature trees predominately Sycamore, Austrian Pine, English Oak and Willow species. The trees currently provide a visual buffer and camouflage the vacant Park Lane site when viewed from the Castle. The same trees also greatly restrict views from Park Lane towards the castle itself. Sensitive intervention to reduce the extent of the tree cover between the site and the moat is required, although the Council has identified trees that can be thin crowned or crown reduced, and some trees that can be felled providing suitable replacement planting is undertaken elsewhere in the park so to minimise any lost amenity value. There is a further option to fell other trees close to the boundary, if replacements are planted. Habitat creation measures for birds and bats should be incorporated into the development in order to compensate for any tree clearance that is undertaken. The development should be clear of the root protection areas of those trees meaning that some of the development site may not be developable.

Access, Movement and Parking: Vehicular access is provided in front of the site along the southern boundary. The Highway is designated as a one-way route from west to east. The site benefits from excellent public transportation accessibility. Bus services currently stop in close proximity to the development. Caerphilly Railway Station, which is also the focus of an ambitious and ongoing landmark transport interchange and Metro hub as key component of the aforementioned Caerphilly Placemaking Plan, is 400m away with access to bus stops within an even shorter walking distance. Public car parks can be found within 200m at both the the Twyn and Crescent Road Public Car Parks. Due to the location within the town centre the parking minimum standard will need to comply with the Wales Parking Standards (2008) that Caerphilly County Borough Council adheres to as part of Supplementary Planning Guidance. The Park Lane development site is located within the Wales Parking Standards ‘Zone 2’ (Town Centre or City Centre Fringe). A reduction in parking requirements could be established by achieving sustainability points through the Wales Parking Standards. Points are awarded to developments that meet criteria relating to their proximity, in terms of walking distance to local facilities, public transport, cycle routes and the frequency of local public transport. Securing these sustainability points could result in a reduction in parking requirements of up to 30% for uses exclusive of residential. Given the confined nature of the site, the Council would be willing to consider the use of off-site car parking to meet the parking requirements set out above. The Council-run Crescent Road Car Park is located within 200m along the lane and space within this car park could be allocated specifically for Park Lane users. Alternatively, a commuted sum could be negotiated as part of the planning application which would contribute to improving public transport or car parking in the town. Because of its town centre location, the needs of cyclists should be accommodated. Secure, covered cycle parking provision will need to be incorporated into the scheme design. Given the site’s town centre location, the scheme is expected to be both pedestrian and cycle friendly. The scheme must integrate with the existing roads, paths and surrounding development and make the most of its proximity to the National Cycle Network 4 and the Taff trail.

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