Ceredigion council planners have approved plans to extend the opening hours at an empty Aberystwyth town centre business.

19 Pier Street – a Grade II Listed Building located within the Aberystwyth Conservation Area – was granted a change of use to a café in 2018.

It was previously home to the Aberdyfi Ice Cream Company.

The application sought permission from Ceredigion County Council for the variation of a condition of from its planning approval to change the opening hours.

The application sought to amend the approved opening hours of 11am to 6pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

The café applied to change those hours to 8am to 9pm seven days a week.

Planning documents said that the “proposed variation is also necessary to ensure the ongoing viability and attractiveness of the premises to prospective occupiers.”

“The current restriction on opening hours significantly limits the ability of a business to operate across key trading periods, particularly breakfast and early evening, which are critical to the success of many café and food and drink uses,” documents said.

“In the context of a challenging retail environment and changing high street dynamics, providing flexibility in operating hours is essential to support sustainable occupation and prevent vacancy within the town centre.”

The plan received no objections.

Ceredigion County Council’s Public Protection department raised no objections to the scheme, saying “there are currently no known issues or complaints regarding street noise or antisocial behaviour associated with this specific location or the immediate vicinity.”

The department added that “the proposed extension is modest and unlikely to result in a significant increase in noise cumulative impact or loss of residential amenity.”

“A proposed daily closure at 9pm remains within the daytime/evening bracket and does not impinge upon the sensitive night-time hours,” they said.

A Ceredigion County Council planning officer’s report approving the plan said: “The application site is located within the town centre of Aberystwyth amongst a large cluster of commercial properties additionally, there are other A3 uses within vicinity that have permission and are able to operate until similar times in the morning and later in the evenings.

“It has also been taken into consideration that there are residential properties within the area, however, no objections have been received.”

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The change of opening hours was approved this week by Ceredigion County Council planning officers under delegated powers subject to conditions.