A PLAN to extend a business near Lampeter has been given the go ahead despite “serious concerns” from highways officers that the move could result in more accidents on the main road.

Ceredigion planning committee members approved a plan for a storage building at Central Garage Service Station, Pentrebach, despite officers saying that since the business was expanded in 2012, the junction to the A475 from the garage had since seen four collisions, including one serious injury.

Members heard that the 600-­metre straight on the road by the site is “one of the limited overtaking opportunities” along the A475, and that there are “dips” near the junction that “mask opposing vehicles”.

Despite this, members said that the concerns with road safety are “already there”, so the highways depart­ment should be dealing with it and not planners.

Cllr Lyndon Lloyd, one of the councillors who attended a site insp­ection panel to see the junction, said they had looked “very closely” at the situation before recommending approval.

“As a panel we looked at everything, but we have a duty as a council to support the local economy,” he said.

“We recommend that it is app­roved and that the applicant and highways work together to improve safety at the junction.”

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