THE Local Development Plan for Ceredigion must allow for more houses to be built for local people in rural communities, it has been stressed.

Cllr Euros Davies, the chair of the thriving communities scrutiny committee, told Cabinet members that the authority should not let planning issues be “dictated” by the Welsh Government and that it should instead provide the best benefit to the county.

While the council’s planning committee has come under fire in the past for going against the LDP and overruling officers to allow development to go ahead, Cllr Davies said that was needed to keep rural areas vibrant.

He said: “Young people want to live in their home villages, whilst the LDP is focused on service centres. There would be no young people living in our rural villages if the committee always followed officer recommendations.

“This aspect of the LDP needs to be reconsidered to allow young people to stay or return to our rural communities.”

Cllr Davies also questioned if the plan included enough economic development in areas outside of Aberystwyth, Cardigan and Lampeter.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, the Cabinet member for economic development, said the authority would soon begin work on updating and changing the LDP, a requirement noted in a review of the plan.

He said council officers would meet with councillors to get their thoughts on what needs to change within the plan to help areas across the county.

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