Campaigners fighting for the future of Wales’ oldest university campus say Ceredigion County Council are considering taking the site over and using it as a sixth form centre for the south of the county.

Teaching at the Lampeter campus will come to an end this month after University of Wales Trinity Saint David decided to move courses to Carmarthen.

A consultation has been opened looking for ideas for the future use of the site.

Among the suggestions campaigners are putting forward is to create a post-16 education centre at the Lampeter campus, which they say is in line with Ceredigion County Council’s plans.

The community based group has publishing a radical range of proposals for the future use of Lampeter’s university campus.

The group Includes representatives from Lampeter Town Council, Ceredigion County Council, Lampeter Society (university alumni), local sports associations and cultural groups – and with the support of Ben Lake MP and Elin Jones MS – Campws Cymuned Llambed/Community Campus Lampeter has come forward with a list of proposals.

Among them is to create a post-16 education centre for south Ceredigion, which campaigners say is ‘in line with county council plans and support by Welsh Government funding’.

Other proposals are to establish an integrated health centre at the Canterbury Building, which has been supported by the Bro Pedr Medical Group, which covers Lampeter and Llanybydder.

The second suggestion is the creation of a top-quality vocational School of Gastronomy, led by gourmet chef, Barny Haughton – open to the public.

The group also want to see an expanded creche/nursery provision by Meithrinfa Seren.

Social housing provision and continued use of the sports hall as a facility for community use are also being put forward, with the sports hall being led by a Community Interest Company, set up by Lampeter Lionesses/Llewod Llambed, with assistance and advice from Cwmpas, the Welsh economic development agency.

Campws Cymuned Llambed spokesperson, Andy Bevan, commented, “After the huge turnout for the public meeting which was chaired by Elin Jones MS on 27 February, we owe a debt to the people of the town and the surrounding area to publicise the viable and exciting proposals which have come forward for the future of the campus.

“There is a long list of big public gatherings coming up in the near future in Lampeter, and we want to ensure that campaign information is made available to local people at all of these events.”

When asked on the post-16 education proposal, Mr Bevan added: “The chief executive (of Ceredigion County Council) Eifion Evans has drawn up a report which will be presented to elected members on using the site for post-16 education in south Ceredigion.”

Ceredigion County Council was asked to respond to the proposals by the Cambrian News, but no response was received.

Plans to merge post-16 education in Ceredigion were shelved by councillors in November last year.

A total of six schools across the county were in potential danger of having their sixth forms axed after Ceredigion County Council said Welsh government funding was ‘not sufficient’ to maintain the status quo.

The schools were: Ysgol Gyfun Aberaeron, Ysgol Bro Pedr (Lampeter,) Penglais School (Aberystwyth), Ysgol Gyfun Penweddig (Aberystwyth), Ysgol Bro Teifi (Llandysul) and Ysgol Uwchradd Aberteifi, Cardigan.

This was largely the result of a sharp decline in the number of students who choose to return to secondary school education following their GCSEs, with the cost of continuing to run the courses in the current financial year escalating.

Four options were considered by the Cabinet Members for the future of the provision, later boiled down to either developing a more collaborative post-16 provision at all sites, or a centre of excellence replacing the current provision at one or more sites.

John Hayes was commissioned to investigate these two options, and submit a report to Scrutiny in the Autumn term 2024.

A report for Cabinet members said the first option, developing the current situation, would see post-16 provision would continue on the six existing sites; the governing boards “would continue with their current roles in terms of governance up to 16 but agree with the local authority to form a strategic board which would manage the authority’s post-16 budget, ensure suitable arrangements for joint planning the curriculum and then commissioning the provision.”

Over time, these recommendations could include adjusting the number of sites and what is provided at each site, it added.

The other centre of excellence option “would offer a more far-reaching change,” members heard.

Mr Hayes told members the first option would offer stronger provision for the Welsh language, adding it was inconceivable to consider only one site for the second option.

Members backed the proposal to start the process of developing the current situation, to ensure suitable arrangements for joint planning of the Post-16 curriculum, for September 2026.

They also approved further investigation into the centre of excellence option, to give more detailed consideration to establishing a potential centre, on one or more sites, at a later date.

Councillor Wyn Thomas, Cabinet Member for Schools and Lifelong Learning, said at the time: "The main aim of the review was to provide an analysis and appraisal of the current situation in terms of post-16 provision in Ceredigion and to identify sustainable options for the future, together with their possible advantages and disadvantages.

“It is extremely important that we not only maintain the high standards of education provided to Post-16 pupils in Ceredigion, but strive to improve them, and provide opportunities for pupils to access a wider range of subjects, including vocational subjects."

On the removal of courses from the Lampeter campus, UWTSD said in a new statement this week: “Due to diminishing numbers of students at the Lampeter campus and the financial challenges facing the UK higher education sector, the University took the decision to relocate Humanities teaching to its Carmarthen campus from September 2025.

“We are committed to supporting the future of humanities at the university and continuing to provide a high quality educational experience for all our students.

“We are equally committed to the future of the Lampeter campus, not only because of its importance in the history of higher education in Wales but also because of its place within the local and regional community.

“Responsibility for the Lampeter campus sits with the university, but we are actively engaging with a wide range of representatives from across our community to explore viable and exciting opportunities for its future use.

“So that we can be open and transparent, we established a Key Stakeholder Group of representatives including local politicians, business and community leaders, and University-associated groups including the Lampeter Society. At the Group’s first meeting, members discussed and agreed a process by which proposals would be received and considered.

“We have responded directly to all stakeholders who have contacted us regarding the process for submitting and considering proposals and are continuing to respond to their requests for further information.

“We are grateful for the enthusiasm shown by the community and are optimistic for the future of the Lampeter campus.”

The university’s official closing date for campus development proposals was 19 May. The KSG is then expected to meet on (or soon after) 23 May.