Aberystwyth town councillors have raised concerns over some elements of the ambitious Old College renovation plans, as the scheme moves on to apply for Listed Building consent.

Council members met last week and discussed the plans, submitted by Aberystwyth University to Ceredigion council planners in May.

Under the £26m plan - given the green light by planners in 2019 - the Grade I listed Old College will be “transformed into a cultural, learning, and enterprise facility” for the university and includes a 33-bed, four-star hotel as well as space for events.

While the council welcomed the plans, and supported the development at the planning stage, concerns have been raised over some of the internal and exterior changes to the building.

Hundreds of documents have been submitted to planners by the university, detailing every aspect of the complex renovations of the Grade I listed building, and Aberystwyth Town Council planning committee chair Cllr Jeff Smith told members that this was the “first time the town council would be commenting on a Grade I application”.

“This is an incredibly important building in Aberystwyth,” Cllr Smith said.

Cllr Mark Strong said that while he was “really supportive of most of what is being done at the Old College”, there were “three or four major parts” which needed to be looked at. Cllr Strong warned that the combination of materials used for the renovation of the building “that has had 160 years to dry out”, could represent a fire risk.

While praising the university for its plans to repaint the main interiors with paint colours matching the original colour scheme of the building, Cllr Strong bemoaned the loss of several spiral staircases inside to make way for disabled access.

“These stairs are part of the building,” Cllr Strong said. “Would you see these kind of stairs being taken out of Jesus College in Oxford?

“The Old College has the same listing as Jesus College, as the Tower of London, as Westminster.”

Cllr Talat Chaudhri said he agreed with the need to retain the staircases, and added that he was “very concerned” over plans to “knock through to change the layout of the building”.

“It is such an important building and one that needs to be done correctly,” Cllr Chaudhri said. “The modern architectural glass and steel are not in keeping with the building.”

Councillors agreed that they would need an extra meeting to discuss the plans again.

Up to 40 new jobs will be created by the development and there is the potential to attract more than 200,000 extra visitors a year, planning documents outline.

The plans are funded through the university’s capital investment programme, external funding and grants, including £10.6m of Heritage Lottery Fund cash.

The university is hopeful the fully renovated building can reopen in 2023 with work due to begin this year if consent is granted.

The application for the redevelopment of the building of “outstanding architectural and historic significance” includes a new facade, as well as changes to 1 and 2 New Promenade and the demolition and redevelopment of two properties at King Street.

Aberystwyth Town Council is a statutory consultee in the planning and consents process, and cannot approve or reject applications.