A recommendation has been made by inspectors into plans for a new supermarket in Aberystwyth after a planning appeal hearing was finally concluded.

The Welsh Government was due to hold a public inquiry in March last year to look into plans by Aldi to build a new supermarket on the derelict site of the former Kwik Save and Cambrian Garage along Park Avenue, but plans were cancelled amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A planned date in November was then cancelled due to an administrative error, and the hearing was finally due to begin in early December, but was adjourned again until 5 January, when a part hearing took place.

The Planning Inspectorate for Wales was then “awaiting further written submissions from the parties before the hearing can be formally closed”, but this week it was confirmed to the Cambrian News that the hearing is closed with a recommendation made to Welsh Government visitors.

The Planning Inspectorate for Wales would not confirm what the recommendation is, nor a timescale for when a final decision will be made.

“At the hearing on 5 January the inspector agreed to allow the submission of additional hydrological data from NRW to inform further flood modelling to be carried out by the applicant,” a spokesperson said.

“This additional work has now been submitted and confirmation has been received from the applicant that no additional evidence is intended to be submitted.

“This accords with the thoughts of the inspector articulated at the hearing that allowing the opportunity for providing further technical evidence has to be balanced with the need to move to a recommendation to the minister.

“The inspector has confirmed that the hearing is now closed and she will move to report to the minister with a recommendation on this application.”

The spokesperson added the recommendation “remains completely confidential until the Welsh Government make their decision”.

The planning application was called in by the Welsh Government over potential flooding concerns, but planning reports now indicate that even if the plans are refused, Aldi will go ahead with its scheme by using permission granted four years ago.

Permission was granted in 2011 for the demolition of the old Kwik Save building and garage on the site, along with the erection of an Aldi store and hotel.

Those plans were slightly amended in February 2016 and approved.

Aldi decided not to move ahead with putting a hotel on site and applied for just a new store, but if the Welsh Government Planning Inspectorate decides to halt its latest plans, the company may “fall back” on the original permission.

The Planning Inspectorate called in the application after “reviewing the Flood Consequence Assessment prepared on behalf of the applicant”.

The store, if it is approved, is expected to create 40 jobs.

The plans were approved unanimously by Ceredigion council’s planning committee in June 2019.