An historic building in Aberaeron will end up as “nothing more than a hostel”, a local councillor has warned, after permission to demolish it and make way for 20 social housing flats was narrowly approved.

Ceredigion County Council’s development control committee was split as it discussed Wales and West Housing’s plan for the site on Princes Avenue at its meeting on Wednesday, 10 March.

The plan to demolish the hospital building - which closed in 2019 with services moved to the Aberaeron Integrated Care Centre - and replace it with two, three-storey buildings with 20 one-bedroom flats and car parking to the rear was described as “bad planning” by Aberaeron county councillor Elizabeth Evans.

Cllr Evans called for the historic building to be retained and argued at the meeting that the town needed two-bedroom houses not more one-bedroom flats of which there was a “plethora.”

“The application has focused on their need for one-bedroom flats not the community needs,” she said.

“This development amounts to bad planning and it’s without defence, and it’s within our own LDP,” she said, adding it would be “nothing more than a hostel.”

The plan was narrowly approved with the casting vote from vice-chairman Cllr Bryan Davies – with nine votes against and nine votes for, with one abstention – leading to its approval.

Committee chairman Cllr Lynford Thomas left the meeting for this item having declared an interest - with vice chairman Cllr Davies taking over - as his daughter is involved with the development.

The building is in the town’s conservation area but the building itself is not listed although its historical importance is linked to its design by George Wilkinson in 1839.

A planning report adds that it was built as a workhouse for Aberaeron Union, the first union in Cardiganshire to open a workhouse, before it was converted into a hospital in 1914.

Little of the original use is retained and the building has been extended over the years, with asbestos in places, the committee heard.

Nine objections to the plan had been received by the council, with concerns including the size of the development which would “dwarf other buildings”, the need for one-bedroom accommodation, over development, and design, with it called a “Georgian pastiche”.

The committee heard that the site had been bought with a Welsh Government grant to provide one-bedroom accommodation, following discussion with Ceredigion council.