Cardigan Bath-House Petrol Station Go-Ahead

I've spent the morning in the monthly Ceredigion County Council planning committee here in Aberaeron.

Once more we've seen the latest chapter in the on-going saga that is the Bath-House development which I have commented on in this blog numerous times previously.

I called-in the application before the full committee because of the concerns in town and in the area about the slippage on site on the plateau which has been built to house the proposed Sainsbury's supermarket. We've already been told that the plans are 12 months behind time because the cut and fill land is not stable as is the case with the new Bath-House-Gwbert link road. I felt that this information needed to be shared to planning committee members before they came to a decision.

So whilst this plan is an improvement on the one that was refused last summer when the Environment Agency Wales objected to the initial plan of housing the petrol tanks above the Afon Mwldan relief tunnel, there are clearly still concerns. Yes, the now proposed petrol station will not be situated above the tunnel and the risk of seepage into the water course is therefore reduced, it will nevertheless be placed within the plateau that remains unstable.

A lively debate followed my comments as a local member and many Councillors on the committee echoed my concerns and those of local residents about the very security of the land on which this proposed petrol station and indeed the supermarket, is supposed to be built on.

With some reluctance, the planning committee accepted the officers' reassurance that no build could proceed until the engineers on-site have confirmed that the land is ready for the development. I don't have a vote as I am not a member of the committee but of those that did, all were in favour of approving the petrol station save one Councillor, who objected.

It was right that the concerns were brought to the committee so that they were fully informed of current concerns in the town and I'm grateful to those Councillors who added to that that I said.