Former Griffithstown Bakery Is Proposed as Site for Yoga Studio and Wellbeing Hub

Current assessment: The available evidence supports reporting that a former bakery in Griffithstown is proposed for use as a yoga studio and wellbeing hub. It does not establish that the studio has been approved, fitted out or opened. The strongest current interpretation is that this is a planning-stage development that would add a small yoga venue in Pontypool if Torfaen Borough Council grants the requested change of use.

Reported facts

Herald.Wales reported on August 11, 2026, that Ria Gibbs has applied to Torfaen Borough Council to convert the former Divine Delights Bakery on Windsor Road, Griffithstown, Pontypool, into a yoga studio and wellbeing hub.

According to the report, the proposed operation would offer classes and workshops, with classes limited to eight pre-booked participants at a time. The report says the application describes proposed hours of 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, and presents yoga, breathwork and meditation as low-noise activities without amplified music, machinery, cooking equipment or routine deliveries.

The report also attributes to the application a stated aim of providing an inclusive wellbeing space and increasing activity in Griffithstown’s local commercial area. Those are the applicant’s stated expectations, not findings independently established by this reporting.

Supporting evidence

The central report was published by Herald.Wales and identifies the proposed site, applicant, intended use and operating details. It further states that the application was being considered by planners and that public comments were invited through Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

Torfaen County Borough Council states that registered planning applications are available through its Planning Public Access Service and that members of the public can submit representations online. That official information supports the reported procedural context: a change-of-use application, once registered, is subject to the council’s planning process rather than representing permission to begin operating.

Limitations and competing evidence

The council’s public-access portal was consulted, but an individual record for this proposal could not be independently retrieved in this review. As a result, the application reference number, validation date, submitted drawings, consultation record, officer recommendation and decision status remain unconfirmed here.

The reported class size, opening hours, transport approach and claims about noise or local footfall are descriptions attributed to the applicant’s planning materials through Herald.Wales. They should not be treated as independently verified operating conditions or evidence that the proposed hub will deliver the projected community or commercial benefits.

There is also no verified opening date, evidence of planning approval, or indication that construction, conversion work or class bookings have begun. The proposal therefore should not be characterized as a studio launch.

Current conclusion

A cautious reading is that a concrete proposal exists to repurpose the former Divine Delights Bakery in Griffithstown as a small yoga studio and wellbeing hub. The available record supports coverage of a proposed addition to local yoga infrastructure, but not a completed or approved studio opening. A council application record or decision notice would materially strengthen the story by confirming the reference number, the exact application description and whether permission is granted, refused or remains pending.