A dilapidated stable block in Machynlleth could be transformed into a 36-bed community hostel if planning consent goes ahead.

An application submitted to Powys County Council would transform the town council building on the Y Plas estate into ‘short-term bookable accommodation with supporting communal and catering spaces’.

Despite the poor state of the building which has been abandoned since 2007, the work aims to keep as much of the original 1840s character as possible including retaining the original walls, roof, windows and doors.

The building originally served as a stable, coach house, and kennels for the main manor house, Y Plas, north of the building.

After the council failed to sell the building to a housing association, plans began in 2019 to create affordable visitor accommodation to support the booming tourist economy in the town, which hosts multiple annual festivals.

The application was submitted in December 2023, commissioning George + Tomos Architects and working with the newly formed Hen Stablau Community Interest Company which will manage the works.

This week they received Listed Building Consent for internal and external alterations on the Grade II listed building.

The group has so far gained £600,000 in funding from Welsh Government Transforming Towns Fund, Heritage Lottery and Cadw for the first phase of the project, which would see the building re-roofed and the main structure restored.

The group will need to secure an additional £2.5m in funding to see the works completed.

The CIC will host a market stall throughout August to allow the public to view the final plans and submit their own ideas for the development.

The planning application reads: “The ethos of the brief is to ensure that the new use ‘fits the existing building’ as far as this is practicable and that the accommodation is configured flexibly so that entire bedroom units can be let on a family, group, or individual basis, including barrier-free, accessible facilities for people with physical disabilities.”