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Shoezone on Blackwood high street is to be changed into a Rhymney Brewery shop and bar.

The Blaenavon-based brewery currently has 12 shops/bars across the south Wales valleys. Its 13th will be at 161 High Street.

At the planning committee meeting on Wednesday June 14 members unanimously approved the application.

The family business is owned by three generations of the Evans family – Steve, 67, his son Marc, 40, and his grandson Lewys, 26.

Steve Evans said: “We want to bring Welsh real ale to Blackwood. At the moment there’s no Welsh beer available on the high street and 83% of all the beers consumed in Wales aren’t made in Wales. We are seeking to address this.”

The plans, submitted by Roger Evans Surveying on behalf of the brewery,  show a seating area, a bar, and a beer cellar.

Rhymney Brewery has been running since 1839, but was closed in 1978. Then in 2004, Steve and his family decided to resurrect the business and have been running it since.

Steve said: “All our beers are natural with no chemicals and we currently have 106 employees.

“We have seen an opportunity, a gap in the market, and we are filling that niche. Local beers means local choice.”

The bar and shop will be open from 8am until midnight from Monday to Thursday and on Sundays, and will be open from 8am until 1am on Fridays and Saturdays.

The beer garden and smoking area will close at 10pm every day, to avoid the disturbance of residents.

Two objections were submitted against the application, with concerns raised about potential antisocial behaviour issues and the toilet facilities.

At the meeting, planning officer Joshua Burrows said toilet provision is not a planning issue.