A NATIONAL coffee chain has been given approval to open in Brecon - despite opposition from the national park planning committee.

The Brecon Beacons National Park's planning committee approved an application by Coffee#1 as members said they could find no reason to turn down its plan to change the use of the High Street Inferior outlet.

Coffee#1, which is owned by Welsh brewers Brains, sought permission to change the former Blockbusters premises from a retail shop to a coffee shop.

Park authority member Mike Bartlett told the committee: "I read this report looking for some reason why the application could be refused. I failed to find a reason, although I sympathise with the speakers who spoke very well."

Six members of the public spoke against the application, but park planning officer Ffion Bevan said the change of use fitted with planning policy to encourage mixed use of town centres.

Following the meeting Kirsty Williams, the Liberal Democrat AM for Brecon and Radnorshire, said she was disappointed with the decision.

The Welsh Lib Dem leader said: "We need to encourage a high street that sells more goods and maintains a sense of individuality rather than becoming dominated by chains that force local business out.

"The national park authority has a responsibility to preserve the High Street in Brecon as a retail hub. It is widely recognised that there is already a lack of retail units in the town centre and should we lose this retail unit, it will further exacerbate this problem."

Brecon councillor Paul Ashton, a Liberal Democrat member of the park authority, had called the application in - so that it was decided by the committee.

He had wanted the committee to reject the application on the grounds it would damage the viability of Brecon town centre.

He said: "I called this application in to the committee because of the genuine concerns local people have regarding the impact this development would have on the local retail economy and also on Brecon's historic conservation area.

"All too often national chains move in, displacing local businesses, and as one resident quite rightly said 'we end up just like everywhere else, a clone town'."

Coffee#1 told the committee the application would bring jobs and investment to Brecon, the historic building would be sensitively restored and it had been empty for a number of years.

For the full story see this week's Brecon & Radnor Express - on sale now