Shropshire Star

Doors can be replaced at a Grade II listed Mid Wales arts venue, planners say

A Wyeside Arts Centre plan to replace external doors at the Grade II listed venue has been approved.

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In the application, Jill Mustafa said the proposal is to remove one set of double doors and three doors from the front and replace them with new hardwood doors as per the existing design.

She said the existing ‘fire doors’ which have been in place for more than 50 years will be replaced exactly ‘like-for-like’ and the change will not be noticed by users of Wyeside Arts Centre nor by passersby.  

There will be no loss of or damage to the historic fabric of the Grade II listed building on Castle Street, nor will the identical replacement doors make it harder to appreciate the way in which the building was used in the past and how it has changed over time, as no change will be evident.

A Wyeside Arts Centre plan to replace external doors at the Grade 2 listed venue, has been approved
Wyeside Arts Centre

Ms Mustafa added: “The identical replacement doors will be built by a local carpenter and designed to look like the existing doors in every respect.

“The new fire doors are needed to ensure that the fire exits are fully functional without any possibility of jamming or poor operation in an emergency. The communal value will not be affected as there will be no appreciable change.

“There will be no use of new materials. The existing hardwood doors will be replaced by specifically crafted identical replacements in the same hardwood with a similar 50+ year life and with similar maintenance requirements.”

Builth Wells Town Council had no objections to the plan. Builth Wells councillor Jeremy Pugh said he fully supported it and urged the council to make a quick decision so the venue did not lose a grant for the work.

In conditionally approving the plans, the planning officer said: “The proposal is to replace existing external doors with doors which are identical. The doors are not historic, but are attractive and appropriate timber doors. There would be no loss of historic fabric, and the building would remain aesthetically unchanged. The proposal fundamentally complies with policy, seeing no harm to the character or interest of the building."