Ceredigion County Council’s leader and Cabinet member for regeneration were no-shows at a packed public meeting in Beulah organised in a bid to save a playing field and playground at the heart of the village that Ceredigion County Council has earmarked to sell off for housing.

The playing field, which lies adjacent to the former village primary school, is owned by Ceredigion County Council.

The school was closed back in 2019, and last year the building was put up for sale for £165,000.

While the building remains unsold and still on the market, the fields adjacent to the site – currently home to a playground and playing fields – are now the subject of county council plans to sell it off to developers for housing.

While owned by Ceredigion County Council, part of the field has been leased annually to Beulah Community Council since the 1980s.

Beulah Community Council has expressed ‘grave concerns’ over the plan to sell off and develop the site, and organised a public meeting on 14 July to “discuss this urgent matter”.

The council invited the leader of Ceredigion County Council Cllr Bryan Davies and Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Carbon Management Cllr Clive Davies to the meeting to here residents’ views but neither showed up or sent apologies.

MS Elin Jones and MP Ben Lake were also invited, both sending apologies for not being able to make the meeting.

The meeting in Beulah Vestry was “packed” the community council said, with residents hearing that Beulah Community Council “wishes to purchase the entire playing field to maintain it as a recreational facility for the village and the wider community.”

The meeting heard that the community council “fought hard in the 1980s to acquire the field and retain it as a recreation facility for the community.”

The Community Council said it was “given full support by members of the community in objecting to Ceredigion County Council’s plans, and many concerns were raised at the meeting over the proposed development.”

Ceredigion County Council told the Cambrian News that while plans are being developed to sell off the site, the council “will seek to retain part of the area for recreational purposes” if a move to develop the fields is made.

The county council also said that discussions with the community council over the future of the field had been held.

Beulah Community Council said: “We have expressed this wish to Ceredigion County Council and have submitted a bid for its purchase.

“Ceredigion County Council however, has declared its proposal to sell the entire field comprising of 1.48 acres with a ‘hope value’ of £200,000 to a potential developer.

“The proposed housing development would consist of 10 dwellings in the heart of the village.

“Beulah is not on a public transport route, does not have a village school and amenities are very limited.

“The playing field at present has ease of access for people with a disability, and this could be compromised if Ceredigion County Council proceeds with this proposed development.”