Charlotte Church wins approval for Elan Valley wellness retreat

Rhydoldog House was the family home of fashion designer Laura Ashley

Singer Charlotte Church's plans to open a wellness retreat have been unanimously approved by councillors.

The star plans to turn the former home of fashion designer Laura Ashley in the Elan Valley, Powys, into a wellbeing and healing retreat.

The proposals include converting part of a barn and installing solar panels.

Objections to the scheme were raised last year, with Powys council highways officials warning of road safety issues.

But plans to address these concerns as part of the proposal meant those objections could not be sustained, the Local Democracy Reporting Service quoted a senior planning officer as saying.

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The concerns centred on the suitability of access from a narrow country lane - the C1219 - with the application's estimate for additional traffic volume questioned.

But a council highways manager said the number of vehicles would not increase significantly and refreshing the road signs and adding road markings would address concerns over visibility at the junction.

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