The Cardiff Council Planning Committee met to discuss two planning applications: a request to allow a delicatessen in Rhiwbina to open on Sundays, and a proposal to change a former hotel in Butetown into a hostel for homeless people. The committee approved the delicatessen's Sunday opening, and approved the change of use for the former hotel.

Snails Delicatessen, Beulah Road, Rhiwbina

The committee approved a request to vary the existing planning conditions for Snails Delicatessen at 6-8 Beulah Road, Rhiwbina, allowing the premises to open on Sundays between 7:30 am and 9:00 pm. The application sought to vary conditions 3, 4, and 16 of planning permission 09/00363/W, which relate to operating hours, the external dining area, and the use of external dining area doors.

The planning officer explained that the application was submitted under section 73 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990, which allows for variations to existing planning conditions. They clarified that the committee could only consider the conditions themselves, not the fundamental aspects of the business.

The officer noted that 28 representations had been received: 21 in support and 7 in objection. Those objecting raised concerns about noise and disturbance to nearby residents, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. Supporters said the changes would support a local family-run business and align Snails with other establishments in the area already operating on Sundays.

Councillor Cowan spoke on behalf of the ward councillors, requesting a site visit to assess the proximity of neighbouring properties to the site. The committee voted against the site visit.

Lisa Humphries, a petitioner objecting to the application, thanked the planning office for considering the concerns of Snails' direct neighbours. She raised concerns about the back of house management of Snails and asked the committee to clarify the structure erected in the rear garden space. She requested a period of probation to assess the impact on neighbours if the application were granted.

Fran Uggen Sykes, representing Snails Deli, spoke in support of the application, saying that opening on Sundays would bring the business into parity with the rest of the village and fill a gap in the market by offering quality home-cooked breakfasts and Sunday roasts. She said that Snails Deli is proudly rooted in the community and that Sunday opening would secure the long-term future of the business.

Councillor Cowan said that the ward councillors had major concerns about the garden area and its impact on nearby residents. He referenced a previous planning application (18/01758/MNR) that was refused due to increased noise and disturbance to residents.

Councillor Shimmin proposed allowing the business to open on Sundays but not allowing the use of the garden. This proposal was not seconded.

Councillor Hunt said that he found it difficult to justify an argument that there would be unacceptable harm on a Sunday if there was no problem on a weekday. Councillor Michael, Deputy Lord Mayor, supported the officer's recommendation, calling the current Sunday restrictions Dickensian . Councillor Wong supported the officer's recommendations and said that the current Sunday restrictions were an anachronism. Councillor Jessica Driscoll said that she would consider seconding Councillor Shimmin's proposal if the hours were reduced rather than closed.

The committee rejected the proposal to vary the Sunday opening hours. They then voted to approve the unamended recommendation to grant the application subject to the conditions in section 13 of the report.

Former Ibis Budget Hotel, Tyndall Street, Butetown

The committee approved a change of use for the former Ibis Budget Hotel on Tyndall Street, Butetown, from a 157-bedroom hotel (Class C1) to a hostel (sui generis use class) providing supported accommodation for homeless persons, containing 98 bedrooms with communal kitchen, dining, and lounge facilities, for a period of up to three years.

The planning officer advised that four additional letters of objection had been received from local residents after the original late representation sheet was sent out. They also noted that the agent representing the waterfront business owners emailed an additional letter of objection the previous night, which had been forwarded to members. The officer also clarified that the application was a Regulation 3 application, as the council was the applicant.

The officer said that the Welsh Government had confirmed that the issues raised were not of more than local importance and that the application should not be called in for determination.

The officer explained that the council purchased the Ibis Budget Hotel in 2024 and that the property has been used as emergency homeless accommodation under Schedule 2 Part 12 A Class A of the Town and Country Planning General Committed Development Order. They said that the use of the building for homeless accommodation must cease in January 2026 unless planning permission is granted to development beyond the 12-month period.

The officer said that the proposal contained property currently in use as a hotel with 157 bedrooms and ground floor communal areas and a kitchen area. They said that the ground floor areas would contain six single bedrooms, two accessible rooms, a communal kitchen, a living and dining area, a well-being room, a communal area, and cycle storage. The first, second, and third floors would each contain 23 single bedrooms, two accessible rooms, seven kitchen areas, seven communal living rooms, storerooms, and a laundry. The fourth floor would comprise 15 single rooms, three communal kitchen dining rooms, and a store laundry. They also said that an external amenity area would be created, taking out an area of the car park to utilize for an amenity area.

The officer noted that the council's cabinet resolved to declare a housing emergency in 2023 and that there is a significant need for homeless accommodation within the city. They said that there have been large increases in people presenting as homeless, brought about by rises in the cost of living, a lack of affordable rental accommodation, and changes in legislation.

The officer acknowledged that there have been issues regarding the use and management of the property, as highlighted in the concerns and objections raised by local businesses and residents. They also noted that the property is still laid out as its original use as a hotel and lacks facilities associated with longer-term accommodation.

The officer said that the main issues raised by residents and businesses include increases in crime and antisocial behaviour, impacts on local businesses, impacts on residents, and the clustering of similar hostel uses within a small area. They noted that Southworth Police had not raised objections to the proposal and had been involved in discussions with the applicant on how to improve things within the property and to try and minimise crime and antisocial behaviour within the area.

The officer said that there are a number of other similar facilities within the surrounding area, including hostels at the Wallach, the former YMCA on Tindall Street, and the Salvation Army. They said that although there is an element of clustering, these other facilities are close to housing advice and homeless services provided by the council, as well as being in a sustainable location within walking distance of the city centre and associated services.

The officer concluded that the proposal seeks to use the property as a homeless hostel for a period of up to three years and that there are changes internally and externally proposed to improve the quality and use of the facility. They said that on balance, it is considered that the proposal is acceptable and that planning permission should be granted for the new development for a temporary period of up to three years, subject to detailed conditions.

Mr Palmer spoke on behalf of the owners of the waterfront business park, objecting to the application. He said that the hostel use is actively undermining the economic strategy of the area and that crime in the area has risen by up to 800%. He said that staff from neighbouring firms are being threatened and intimidated and that businesses are experiencing break-ins. He said that the proposal would also co-locate highly vulnerable adults and survivors of abuse in the same building as drug users and early release prisoners, which is entirely unsuitable for their welfare.

Carol O'Brien spoke on behalf of the Atlantic Wharf Residents Association, objecting to the application. She said that since the hostel opened, residents have regularly witnessed drug taking outside their homes, been offered or asked for drugs, seen an increase in litter, and witnessed vandalism. She said that this has left residents fearful of walking in the streets around the hostel. She said that official crime statistics show between a 200% to 800% increase in reported crime and that this increase directly corresponds to the opening of the hostel.

The applicant responded to both petitions, saying that the proposal is an essential response to the shortage of housing in the city and that the aim of the scheme is to provide accommodation and support to vulnerable individuals. They said that the residents of the site will receive tailored support, including access to health care, support of daily living skills, and structure plans towards independence. They said that the council is committed to being a good neighbour and will engage with residents and work with local services to maintain a safe environment. They said that the application seeks approval for a temporary period of three years only and that it is not the council's long-term intention for this site to operate as supported accommodation.

Councillor Ibrahim said that the proposal ignores the principles of fairness, responsibility, and protection of quality of life and that it places Butetown under additional pressures and creates risks for residents and vulnerable people alike. He said that the opening of the hostel has seen an increase of around 800% in the element of crime in the localised area. He said that residents are reporting theft, harassment, and antisocial behaviour in their own streets and in public spaces.

Councillor Lewis said that the proposal undermines the vision for the area as a strategic zone for economic growth and that businesses have already reported serious impacts. He said that South Wales Police data shows an 800% increase in recorded crime incidents since the hostel opened in January 2025. He said that the concentration of hostels in this area is already excessive and that it creates a pressure point for social disorder.

Councillor Gunter said that he has grave concerns regarding the application and that an incident was documented in a complex needs case hostel where a tenant used a normal dinner knife to intimidate another person. He said that the police statement to the housing department states that the whole building should be controlled by an electronic access fob system and that residents should only have access to the communal areas, stairs, and floors that they reside on. He said that this is not something that is possible in this building.

The officer responded to the points raised, saying that the report emphasises that a request was made for the application to be called in for Welsh government to determine and that they specifically came back and said that this is not an issue of local importance. They said that the council is the applicant and that they have sought to assess the application as any application should be, rigorously and robustly, to make sure that it is appropriate.

The officer said that they changed the description of the application because they were questioning the applicant to understand exactly what the nature of the application is and was. They said that whereas the application when originally registered talked about it being a residential institution, it became clear that while there is a degree of support and care, actually the use is more appropriate to determine as a hostel.

The officer said that they sought to ensure that even though a temporary use is still a residential use, the intensity of the use would need to reduce as a consequence of the need to provide greater internal as well as external amenity area.

The officer said that they don't doubt that there has been an increase in the fear of crime and the impacts on residents and communities. They said that they don't have the specific data in terms of where the statements that they don't have the facts that state where that 800% comes from. They said that they wanted to share information that they have reviewed as part of this application and why it is not explicitly referenced within the report.

Councillor Shimmin said that it is a very difficult decision to make and that on one hand, there is a homelessness crisis and emergency and that we have a moral duty to support the most vulnerable people in society. They said that on the other hand, the local impact cannot be understated or and is vitally important as well.

Councillor Driscoll said that the application is different from as much of the building already exists and so the applicant, Cardiff Council, is having to put planning policy and design out crime improve amenity for existing occupants with the building and outside to reduce occupancy as well from 157 to 98. They said that the other challenge is doing this while also considering the existing residential and business community nearby. They proposed an alternative condition limiting the time of temporary accommodation extension maybe to 12 months to give the authority time to make alternative arrangements and reduce the occupancy over the next year.

Councillor Hunt said that they were a little bit disappointed that as far as when alleged criminality is an issue, that there is one sentence in the report from South Wales Police. They said that they think personally there should have been a little bit more in terms of the police's confidence in being able to address any difficulties that take place. They said that they were also disappointed by the way the Welsh Government didn't call this in and that they don't think this is a local issue.

The officer responded, saying that there's always options that are available for members to refuse on any grounds that they feel is appropriate as long as they're valid planning grounds. They said that it is open to members to restrict the three-year temporary use to a shorter period of time should they feel appropriate. They said that if members felt that there should be some condition about it, they think that a condition that might, for example, say no more than 100 persons, which might give a flexibility for a couple of rooms to have due occupancy just to make sure that any couples with those emergency requirements could be housed here, that would be something they would be happy to put forward if members felt it was appropriate for an additional condition.

Councillor Reid-Jones said that they would very much support a shorter period than the three years and that 12 months would be keen to support, taking into account Steve's views around the cost and expense. They said that they would be convinced possibly to go to 18 months. They also said that they'd like to see the operational management plan item 3 within the report, which talks about within one year of the date of the approval, an annual review shall be undertaken by the operator, and that they'd like to see that quarterly to ensure that everything is working in accordance with the plans that are being put in place in order to protect the residents and the wider community, both business and neighbours.

The officer responded, saying that in terms of the time period, they are very mindful of the fact that this application does involve quite a lot of changes to implement a more acceptable internal and external environment for the residents. They said that any reduced period of time, therefore, would probably make it less likely that all of those changes may be affordable for the council to implement because of a reduced period of time. They said that if a shorter period such as 18 months were part of it, there would still be an ability to make some changes, but it may not be to the full extent of what's on the plans.

Councillor Michael said that homelessness is not just a Cardiff issue, it's a UK-wide issue. He said that Cardiff is in some ways a victim of its own success and that they tend to attract people from across the region. He said that officers have really worked out to find alternatives and that they want as a city and as a council to do their best for people who are homeless and also have complex needs.

Councillor Wong said that they are sympathetic to the concerns expressed by local residents and members, but that they do think some of the language that has been used here today, things like badly managed or seismic shift in community safety, fear for a walk in the streets, is demonizing some of the most vulnerable people in the community and isn't helpful, especially in a planning matter.

Councillor Humphreys said that it's about the reduction of the time of use and how long it would take for these adaptions to be done. They said that that's going to take a lot of time away from it so they won't be able to see exactly how everything's being managed as well.

Councillor Driscoll clarified that they were proposing a 12-month period. Councillor Reid-Jones seconded that proposal.

The committee rejected the proposal to limit the permission to 12 months. They then voted to approve the unamended recommendation to grant the application subject to the conditions in section 13 of the report.

Other Business

The committee noted the applications decided by delegated powers as listed in the Applications Decided by Delegated Powers report from 6 November to 3 December. The next meeting was scheduled for 15 January 2026.