COUNCIL chiefs will make another attempt to find a development scheme for a prime Aberystwyth town centre location after ruling out early suggestions.

Ceredigion County Council’s Cabinet agreed in February 2015 to ask developers to come up with proposals for the former Arriva depot site on Park Avenue, but the authority has now confirmed that it pulled out of talks after ruling that the proposals put forward were not acceptable.

The site has been empty since Arriva pulled out of providing services in Ceredigion in 2013 with the council buying the property by using a Welsh Government loan as part of a development scheme.

As part of the effort to find a developer with an acceptable scheme, the council had said it was prepared to include the car park behind the depot to increase the development site, although insisted any developer would have to provide an alternative car park elsewhere in the town to make up for the loss of the parking spaces.

A council spokesperson said it was likely that the authority would try to attract a scheme to make use of the site later this year.

The spokesperson said: “Following a Cabinet decision in February 2015, the Arriva site and surrounding council land was promoted and marketed as a site for development.

“Although there were interested parties, the design and mix of uses were unacceptable. The council has continued to discuss options and is likely to re-market the site in 2017, following the successful redevelopment of the Mill Street site further along Park Avenue.”

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