CHANGES planned to the Paget Rooms’ roof in Penarth which will impact natural light at the prestigious building must be “reluctantly accepted”, one regularly visitor has said.

Jo Thomas, a resident in Penarth, has spent years visiting the Paget Rooms for coffee mornings and special occasions, and said she was originally upset when she saw the plans.

The town council has applied to the Vale to make roofing replacements to the Grade Two listed building.

The venue is still in daily use and has flat roofs to the front and rear sections, but a trussed pitched roof to the central theatre to allow for natural light.

The application is asking to renew the main pitched roof covering and remove the existing roof lights.

A spokesman for Penarth Town Council said: “Penarth Town Council is awaiting planning permission on its application to repair and re-roof the Paget Rooms. The roof requires substantial work to safeguard the Paget Rooms.

“In addition to the remedial work, the application seeks the ability to counter the natural light entering the auditorium, making it fit for purpose as a community and performance venue. It is vitally important that work is undertaken both to future-proof the building's condition and allow it to function as cultural hub in the 21st century.”

In January 2019, Lapider surveyed the Paget Rooms and determined that the original tiled pitched roof covering was past its economic life span and should be renewed.

The planning report reads: “The flat roofs have previously been replaced; however, the tiled pitched roof is the original. The roof has been repaired; however, the rows of tiles are starting to slip which is indicative of nail fatigue or the nibs on the tiles failing. One this occurs the row of tiles slip.

Penarth Times: Pictures from planning reportPictures from planning report

“The roof lights are the original Georgian Wired glazed roof lights that sit in a timber frame and are capped with lead. The lead and glass has slipped and been repaired many times and water is entering the roof around the roof lights.”

Ms Thomas said while she was originally upset, since hearing more about the plans, she has "realised the importance of the work".

Penarth Times: Rosemary tiled roof and roof lights and ventilator turret. Picture: Lapider.Rosemary tiled roof and roof lights and ventilator turret. Picture: Lapider.

“The roof lights are part of the identity of the hall, and it will be a big loss,” she said. “I am comforted that the changes are reversible.

“Reluctantly I understand the reasoning behind it, but it’s sad because it is a unique thing and something that would have been nice for Penarth to hang on to.”