One of Pembrokeshire’s most iconic churches will take on a new life as a family home as change of use is approved.

Grade II listed St Thomas a Becket Church, near St Thomas Green, in Haverfordwest can be seen from all over town with its bell tower being one of the tallest in Pembrokeshire. It was closed in 2012 and later put up for sale.

An application for a change of use and listed building consent had been made to convert the church in to a dwelling by placing a separate pod in the main central isle of the church, leaving “a double height space to the far part of the nave leading into the chancel.”

The pod is described as a simple box design with its back against the tower, which will be used as the “wet services area” for toilet and bathrooms.

The delegated planning report, giving conditional permission for the proposal, states that the aisle would remain open for indoor amenity space with a kitchen and dining room arrangement.

The structure and exterior of the listed building will not be changed or will be sensitively repaired, it adds, although the bell will be removed from the bell tower according to a bat survey report.

A number of bat species were recorded at the site and the proposals include plans to mitigate disturbance.

Planning officers felt that although the “alterations proposed would have some detrimental impact on the special character of the listed building” by reducing the overall visibility of the structure within the church this would be reversible and retains the full height of the structure.

“The change of use also provides this building which had an uncertain future, and numerous maintenance issues that needed addressing; with a viable and sustainable future use,” it adds.