Bank To Nail Bar Refusal

A call to convert a Pembrokeshire town centre former bank to a nail bar has been refused by county planners.

Huw Tuyen Nguyen, through agent Hayston Developments & Planning Ltd, sought permission for a change of use of the former Halifax bank at Grade-II-listed 10 Victoria Place, in Haverfordwest’s conservation area, to a nail bar, along with a related listed building consent.

Halifax closed its Haverfordwest branch back in 2024, leaving it with no more branches in the county.

A supporting statement accompanying the nail bar application at the three-storey building said: “The previous use of the building, a bank operated by the Halifax, ceased a few years ago and remains vacant making no contribution to the vitality or viability of the town centre.

“This application seeks to put the ground floor to an alternative commercial/retail use and which together with some internal and external alterations, also seeks to convert the upper two floors into a single high-quality flat. The upper floors have largely been under-utilised in the past. As such, the proposal would make a positive contribution to the town centre.”

It went on to say of the change of use to a nail bar: “This part of the application would allow the relocation and expansion of a professional service facility to serve Haverfordwest and the surrounding areas. This forms the basis of aspirations to grow the business, both in the immediate short term, and in the future as the business continues to grow.

“The applicant has explained that the current business is a nail salon which has been trading for some 15 years but under a different management. The applicant has had the business since January 2022.

“The business hours would be 9 am to 6 pm Monday to Saturday but closed on Sundays and which would employ 2/3 people.”

The application was refused on the grounds “the proposed external alterations, by virtue of the chosen materials, finish and detailing, represent poor design that fails to respect the historic character of the listed building and the wider terrace”.

The refusal went on to say: “The works do not respond appropriately to the building’s significance and would result in a harmful intervention that undermines its special architectural and historic interest.

“Furthermore, the proposal fails to satisfy the statutory duty to preserve or enhance the character and appearance of the Haverfordwest Conservation Area, and to pay special regard to the desirability of preserving the listed building and its features of architectural and historic interest.”

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