A jobs boost could be on the cards for Llanbadarn, as a furniture retailer hopes to take over the former Cambrian Printers building.

Hafren Furnishers, which has been trading for more than 55 years from its hometown Llanidloes, said it has been “keen to better serve the Aberystwyth and Ceredigion market“ with the opening of a second store – bucking the trend of shop closures amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The company said it has searched for more than a decade for a “suitable location” and consider the former Cambrian Printers site to be “the perfect location at which to expand the business”.

Hafren Furnishers, a family business which runs the largest furniture showroom in Wales, says the plan would create around 30 new jobs in Llanbadarn.

Cambrian Printers, which was once part of the Cambrian News, shut its Aberystwyth office last year with the loss of dozens of jobs after a 160-year connection with the town.

Pensord, which bought the family firm in 2017, moved the manufacturing part of the business to South Wales, leaving the Llanbadarn building empty.

The Read family, who sold Cambrian Printers in 2017, still owns the premises in Llanbadarn, but planning documents say Hafren Furnishers has agreed a sale price for the building, subject to being granted planning permission for a change of use to turn the building into a saleroom.

A planning report for the company said: “Hafren Furnishers’ interest in the site presents an opportunity to inject new life into the Llanbadarn area, bringing the prospect of employment to the immediate area while avoiding the potential risk of decay and dereliction at a prominent location.

“The proposed development will result in a series of economic benefits. Indeed, the proposal will give rise to the creation of 30 full-time-equivalent jobs.

“Given that Hafren Furnishers is a local business, all staff are to be locally based and benefit from a training and employment programme.

“Therefore, should the application be approved, the development will result in a significant contribution towards local employment.”

The company said that the opening of the new store is “not speculative”, despite the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on businesses, and estimates a turnover of more than £1m a year if the plans are given the green light.

The company’s store in Llanidloes will continue to trade, documents say, while the existing book binding site based at the 3,800 sq ft building will “also be offered the opportunity to continue to trade on the site”.

Planning documents outline that there would be 53 car parking spaces for staff and visitors, including three disabled spaces, a number “considered to be sufficient to accommodate likely demand”.

Documents show that pre-application meetings with council planners were “overwhelming positive”, with Hafren Furnishers hopeful the scheme will be given the go ahead.

The application was submitted to council planners this week.