Fresh calls to convert a former Ceredigion village school to a home have been submitted to county planners after the previous scheme lapsed.

Carole Humphreys, through agent Greyside Planning, seeks permission for a change of use of the former Ysgol Gynradd Pontsian school in the village of Pontsian near Llandysul to a single dwelling, with associated works.

The site was formerly used as a primary school before closing in 2016, and has previously obtained permission for a change of use to a four-bed property under a 2018 application, which has now expired before works started.

The latest application seeks permission for a resubmission of details after a Certificate of Lawfulness application made last year was refused.

A supporting statement said: “The Certificate of Lawful Development was applied for in an attempt to keep the permission ‘live’ on site as the client had begun the process of removing interior features of the property, to begin the change to a dwelling. Unfortunately, these works were not decided to be substantial enough to attribute a commencement of development.

“The site therefore as of current is paused in the position of neither a school nor a dwelling through its materiality as the works could not progress when the refusal was decided upon. Making the outcome of this application of great importance for the re-use and upkeep of the building.”

The statement adds: “The change of use proposed within this application to a dwelling remains policy compliant and the precedent for the change of use has formerly been approved under policies that remain applicable for this application’s assessment. The site remains vacant since the last application was approved and the lack of demand for its retention as a school or other commercial use was clearly shown through the lack of buyer interest for an educational or commercial use.

“Although strictly speaking, this proposal will result in the loss of a community facility as regarded by the plan, it is apparent this facility holds no contribution as a school within its community as a school as it has been more than six years since it last operated, and the pupils were merged with other schools in the area to form a facility in the nearby Llandysul.

“The existing condition of the property iterates the importance of acquiring this permission to continue the development in accordance with the submitted plans as the proposal began under the previously approved plans, but not to a degree of materiality that could regard the application to be extant. This leaves the client awaiting the new permission to be able to repurpose the property and utilise the building effectively and lawfully.”