LAND in Trefechan put up for sale by Ceredigion County Council shouldn’t be sold to developers but should be used for a community facility, according to a new petition.

Aberystwyth town councillor Claudine Young has launched the petition on www.change.org calling on the county council to abandon plans to sell boatyard land at Trefechan to developers in favour of providing a community facility.

While the land is currently up for sale, council Cabinet members had extended the period it was expected to give to market the land after hearing that local residents had formed a community group with the intention of buying the land.

Planning permission for flats on the site has already been granted, but the petition is calling on the council to instead ensure that Trefechan has a community facility.

The petition says: “We are petitioning Ceredigion County Council to reconsider the selling of the land known as the boat yard, Trefechan to the private sector and instead to re-designate it as a community recreational area for Rheidol ward.

“This space would also serve as a welcoming space for residents and tourists in the wider town to use when visiting the area.

“The land, which is a publicly owned asset, is due to be sold with planning permission for private flats; a development that is not and has never been suited to the location.

“This boat yard is instead ideally situated for the purposes of a community recreational area, due to the proximity of the cycle path, river walks and nature reserve of Pen Dinas.

“Furthermore, the Trefechan area is the other ‘gateway’ to the town of Aberystwyth which has not had the same benefit of infrastructure and leisure investment that the primary gateway into Aberystwyth has had, such as the skatepark, seating areas and tree planting.”

Cllr Young said: “Ceredigion County Council holds within its power, the opportunity to contribute to the relatively poorer community of Rheidol ward in a positive way, rather than engage in the further selling of public selling of public assets for minimum short-term gain so that private enterprise can profit greatly at the community’s expense.”

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