Muse lines up approval for second Colwyn Bay scheme

The developer is set to secure consent for housing at the former Civic Centre in Colwyn Bay, the second phase of a deal with Conwy Council that has already seen the construction of an 100,000 sq ft HQ building.

Muse has been working with Conwy Council since 2014 on the scheme; the developer, working with contractor B+K, has already completed a new headquarters for Conwy, allowing the council to relocate its 750 staff into a single building, freeing up other buildings in its estate for redevelopment.

Among these is the former Civic Centre site; working with planner Savills and Ainsley Gommon Architects, Muse is proposing to convert the existing Hen Glan-y-Don building next to the Civic Centre into nine apartments, split between two two-bedroom homes and seven one-beds.

Hen Glan-y-Don was formerly used as office space for the council, while there are also temporary office buildings in its car park; these will be removed as Muse redevelops the site.

Further plans for the site include19 new-build homes, split between two, three, and four-beds; in total, 28 homes will be delivered, five of which are designated as affordable.

These have been brought forward under two separate planning applications, both of which are due to be approved when Conwy Council’s planning committee meets later this week.

Planning officers said the current building provided “substandard” office space with “little merit” in marketing the site for continued use.

The professional team on the project also includes Hydrock and Tyler Grange.

Other sites freed up by the council’s move to its new Colwyn Bay headquarters include 41 Conwy Road and a former hospital in Rhos-on-Sea; these do not form part of Muse’s deal and will be redeveloped separately.