A PANEL of councillors has recommended approving the siting of two shipping containers near Penparcau’s under-construction community centre following a site meeting.

As reported in the Cambrian News last week, residents had the chance to put their concerns to councillors in person at the meeting on Tuesday, 25 October, after a decision on whether to approve the application by Penparcau Community Forum was deferred at last month’s planning committee.

The forum argued that the containers were needed primarily for storage of grounds maintenance equipment, including a ride-on lawn mower, since they took over responsibility for the park from Ceredigion County Council. It was also argued that the land, which lies adjacent to properties at Tycam, was “rarely, if ever, used”, and that the loss of the land would be outweighed by the “substantial community benefit”.

Concerns were raised by residents regarding the loss of green space, the potential for attracting antisocial behaviour, the unattractiveness of the containers, and the possible consequent reduction in the values of their properties.

But councillors on the panel “unanimously” supported the principle of the development, although some suggested that it should be a short-term solution to a long-term problem of storage.

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