ONE-MILLION-POUND plans to turn Aberystwyth’s iconic Old Welsh School into a ‘café quarter’ could create up to 150 jobs, developers have said.

The plans, which were originally submitted last February and include the creation of six commercial units, have been given final approval after Llandeilo developers Arbenigol fulfilled a number of pre-planning conditions for the Grade-II-listed building.

Will Lloyd Davies, director of Arbenigol, told the Cambrian News this week that construction is due to start by September and finish in April next year, and predicted the creation of “between 120 and 150 full and part-time jobs”.

Mr Davies said the development had two confirmed commercial tenants so far — international pizza restaurant chain Pizza Express, and Loungers, a Bristol-based chain described on the company website as “informal neighbourhood café/bars”.

“We are tendering for contractors for the works and we are hoping to start by the end of the summer,” he said.

“Hopefully we can start by September, and that will mean an approximate finish date of next April.

Mr Davies added: “There are two confirmed retailers. They are Pizza Express and Loungers, and we are just gearing up to start marketing the other units.

“We are hoping to get some good local businesses in there too.

“At the moment, it is looking like it will create somewhere between 120 and 150 full and part-time jobs."

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