PLANS to transform a disused “eyesore” building on Aberystwyth sea front into apartments have been withdrawn by developers.

There was hope that the Deva building on Marine Terrace (pictured) would finally be developed after plans for a change of use from town houses to 18 flats were submitted to Ceredigion council in February by owner Vince Morgans.

The prominent seafront Grade II listed building has laid empty since 2006 when the nursing home that was housed at the site closed its doors.

Calls were regularly made for the site to be renovated and occupied, with owners fined by Ceredigion County Council in March for failing to keep up the appearance of the exterior of the building which sits with the town’s conservation zone.

The £1,000 fine to owners followed a notice to improve the building’s condition being issued by council officers in 2016 after it was dubbed an “eyesore” by nearby residents and local councillors.

Work to update the building’s facade has been ongoing, with plans finally being put in place to bring the building back to use as an apartment block.

However, those plans have now been withdrawn less than two months after they were submitted.

Despite the withdrawal of the internal plans, developers said that onoging work to bring the facade back to life would continue.

“It is important to emphasise at this point that the external appearance of the property will remain as per the previously approved works in 2017 and 2018,” documents said.

“The remainder of the works will continues as approved.

“To be clear to some parties who constantly raise issues with this building, work is on-going and there must be appreciation in how Covid-19 has affected securing of materials and labour work force.”

Work to the roof has already been undertaken, planning documents added, while extra structural work was required on the bay windows due to stability concerns.

Inside the building, documents added, “the dampness that has occurred through water penetration has meant that most internal features have been rotting over a lengthy period.”

The plans for the building - which would have seen a change of use from town houses into 18 apartments, “inclusive of an extension to the rear for the new stairs and lift and re-roofing works to the rear roof slope” along with the demolition and rebuilding of a rear annexe building, and retrospective consent for demolition of rear extensions and some internal walls - were withdrawn by developers last week.

No reason was given in planning documents for the withdrawal of the application.