PLANS to demolish a dilapidated 19th century home in the Aberystwyth Conservation Area and replace it with two new homes have been rejected by planners after Aberystwyth Town Council said it “goes completely against the principles of a conservation area with the loss of a beautiful historic building.”

The scheme to demolish Carreg Wen on the corner of Llanbadarn Road and St David’s Road would have seen the building - which documents said was suffering structural problems - and replace it on the site with two new homes.

The two new homes would have been three storey buildings “with a definite modern design and materials, and much of the external garden area will be used for parking and a turning area,” planning documents outline.

The plans attracted objections from near neighbours who called the scheme a “terrible piecemeal development of the site” that was “not in keeping with the area.”

Aberystwyth Town Council said the scheme “goes completely against the principles of a conservation area with the loss of a beautiful historic building.”

“There is no real evidence that the building is unstable as no surveys have been carried out,” the council said, adding “the designs and finished of the new builds will be out of keeping with the other historic buildings.”

The town council also objected over the loss of green space.

A planning statement from developers outlined that “a structural report has been provided as part of this planning application indicating that there are areas of subsidence, structural defects and other issues to the building in it’s current condition.”

“The loss of this dwelling within the conservation area of Llanbadarn Fawr will have very little bearing or impact on this locality with lots within the site being separated to form another two dwellings,” the statement said.

“The existing dwelling has now become unsightly and out of context with the plot.”

Rejecting the plans, Ceredigion County Council planning officers said that the building “has clearly deliberately been left to deteriorate and had decorative features removed in recent years.”

“Notwithstanding the damage that has occurred to Carreg Wen in recent years, and the loss of part of the garden area to erect a new dwelling that does not enhance the Conservation Area in anyway due to its design and materials, Carreg Wen is considered to comprise a significant and important part of the Conservation Area in this location,” a planning report said.

“The proposal is not acceptable and will result in unacceptable harm to the character and appearance of the conservation area, as well as to Carreg Wen which is considered to be an un-designated historic asset, and the wider setting of the conservation area.

“It would not be appropriate to demolish Carreg Wen and allow the proposed redevelopment of the application site.

“The proposed new dwellings on the site are of a greater scale, size and massing than the existing dwelling and do not respect or enhance the design of the orignal dwelling or the locality.

“In addition to this, the proposed development does not have regard to local distinctiveness and cultural heritage nor complement the site and its surroundings.”