Madam,

Wales and the West Housing Association has planning permission for seven apartments to replace those of the leaseholders of the former Plas Morolwg building.

This will be followed shortly by a further planning application from the Housing Association for an extra-care scheme on the site, containing around 50 apartments for older people.

While we strongly support the need for an extra-care project in Aberystwyth, we do not consider the former Plas Morolwg site suitable for such a development, for the following reasons.

First, access to the site is unfit, due to the extended incline of the access road, for people who have limited mobility and other health problems - as is likely to be the case for the majority of the older people accepted onto the scheme.

This point needs to be stressed. Given a choice, no-one with mobility problems would choose to live in such a location, up a windswept hill with no bus service and some distance from the town centre, unless they had their own transport. For a variety of reasons, this is unlikely to be the case for most of the residents of the project. Crossing Trefechan Bridge to get into town will be a further hazard.

Second, the site is too small. There is not enough room to provide a garden for the residents as is provided at Cardigan’s Maes Mwldan or Crymych’s Bro Preseli, both extra-care schemes. The development would therefore be inferior to these two developments, and others throughout Wales, and would deprive the residents of a basic amenity.

Third, because of the limited space on the site, the development will have to be at least four storeys high in order to provide the minimum number of apartments to make it economically viable. This is likely to make the building look as out of keeping with its surroundings as its predecessor.

We are therefore urging Ceredigion County Council to refuse planning permission for an extra-care development on the former Plas Morolwg site and to look for a more suitable, accessible site, closer to the town centre.

We understand the site of the string maze may shortly be available and that there is a possibility that the eye clinic could be moved to the main hospital, as it is currently deemed unfit for purpose. These sites, both owned by Ceredigion County Council, would be a far more suitable location for an Extra-care development than the former Plas Morolwg site.

Yours etc,

Aberystwyth 50+ Forum Committee.

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