Conwy County Borough Council has approved proposals to transform the former police station in Conwy town centre into an aparthotel.
The scheme, designed by Donald Insall Associates, accommodates a 19-unit aparthotel and a café or retail space, supporting Conwy council’s objectives for the area including sustainable tourism development.
The Grade II-listed Old Police Station, vacant since 2022, sits on a prominent site in Lancaster Square, within the Conwy Town Conservation Area and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The main building was constructed in 1859 to the designs of prominent local architect John Lloyd (1793–1867), who also designed the police station building in Caernarfon. Rear extensions were built onto the structure in the 19th century with further alterations added to the building circa 1940.
The scheme will retain the historically significant front of the building. A new rear extension has been designed in a contemporary manner – drawing on references from the local context, taking inspiration from the material palette, fenestration patterns, scale and roofscape. The new development is three storeys in height but remains subservient to the principal elevations in terms of its scale, massing and architectural embellishment of the materials. The openings and fenestration are to be in a similar pattern, size and rhythm to neighbouring buildings ensuring it sits harmoniously within the street.
The simple, compact form of the extension offers the opportunity for prefabricated construction using low-embodied carbon materials and high-performance fabric, providing energy-efficient hotel accommodation while minimising construction waste and disruption to the town. The roofscape features a sunken crown design, which facilitates the integration of both an air source heat pump and solar panels, without impacting the wider historic context.
Alun Jones, co-developer of the scheme, said:
“It was important to us that we brought the iconic old police station building back into use. We looked at several possibilities for this site before settling on the consented design – ultimately this project is about securing the future of the building through a viable scheme that allows this empty building to be brought back to life, creating a buzz around Lancaster Square while respecting the historically significant front of the building, where no external alterations will be made.”
Elgan Jones, Associate at Donald Insall Associates Conwy studio, said:
“In approaching the proposals for the Old Police Station, we embarked on a series of studies to record and fully understand the character area of Conwy, the relationship between the existing building and the wider site and the significance of the building itself. This analysis informed our design approach and revealed the potential for the reuse of this prominent listed building and the development of a design which underpinned a viable use for the site. The resulting design is both contemporary and respectful of its historic context with an emphasis on integrating sustainable practices into its construction and long-term use from the outset.”