An appeal against a Ceredigion County Council decision to refuse plans for a new home in Cross Inn has been dismissed by Welsh planning inspectors.

Plans for a new home on land adjoining the former school in Cross Inn were rejected last September.

A scheme to build a new two bedroom home on the land were turned down by Ceredigion County Council planning officers under delegated powers after applicants refused to make the dwelling affordable.

A planning report said that while the design of the home is acceptable “the principle of additional open market housing in Cross Inn is not considered to be acceptable.”

“There is no demonstrated need for open market housing in Cross Inn and the proposed development should instead contribute towards meeting the affordable housing need through the delivery of an affordable dwelling on site as opposed to an open market dwelling,” the report added.

The applicants appealed the decision to Welsh planning inspectors, who dismissed the appeal.

The inspectors’ report said that “development in Cross Inn continues to considerably exceed the level of provision envisaged by the LDP and has outpaced New Quay”, with 49 current housing commitments against a target of just 13.

Despite that number, inspectors found the proposal’s location was ‘acceptable’, but found that the plan went against policy on affordable housing.

The report said that there is a “considerable unmet need for affordable housing in Ceredigion”.

Failing providing an affordable home on the site, a commuted sum of 10 per cent of market value can be made to meet affordable home policy, but inspectors said they “have not been provided with a planning obligation that would secure that contribution in this case.”

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“The lack of an appropriate affordable housing contribution and resulting harm to the provision of affordable housing are overriding factors,” inspectors concluded.