CEREDIGION councillors have been slammed after approving a planning application for an extra care facility for vulnerable people despite concerns about the off-the-beaten-track location.

Members of the council’s planning committee approved plans last week for the 56-apartment extra care facility at Plas Morolwg overlooking Aberystwyth harbour subject to conditions.

But that decision has been criticised by objectors who raised concerns about the location and the fact that elderly vulnerable people could be unable to leave the site and become isolated.

While councillors admitted that there were issues around the location and access to the site, they said that Aberystwyth desperately needed more care services so felt they needed to approve the application despite the concerns.

Aberystwyth Town Council, the recently formed North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care and the Aberystwyth 50 Plus Forum all raised objections to the development, but were overruled by councillors on the planning committee.

George Holloway, an objector who spoke against the development at the meeting, said councillors had used the lack of care facilities to push the development through despite admitting that there were issues with it and said opponents of the scheme felt it was already a “foregone conclusion”.

He said: “I spoke on behalf of the North Ceredigion Forum for Elderly Care and Gwenda Williams for the Aberystwyth 50 Plus Forum.

“We presented, I felt, a cohesive and strong argument against developing Plas Morolwg for extra care housing.

“We are disappointed, but in no way surprised by this outcome. It was so apparently a foregone conclusion that there was barely a need to convene a meeting when the decision could have been phoned in."

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