WORK on a new £1 million planning policy for Ceredigion is to be paused due to environmental concerns.

The council has taken a “pragmatic” decision to delay work on Ceredigion’s overarching plan for development across the county until more information and mitigation of phosphate pollution along the Teifi river is provided.

Natural Resources Wales introduced planning guidance earlier this year regarding phosphate levels in the Teifi, a special area of conservation with around 45 per cent – 806 square kilometres – of Ceredigion affected.

It has led to planning delays on 50 per cent of Ceredigion’s urban areas and 14 per cent of rural areas – which in real terms has meant around 572 new homes and five business premises haven’t be built.

A replacement Local Development Plan is due and the new NRW regulations have affected 89 communities across Ceredigion.

Cabinet member for economy and regeneration Cllr Rhodri Evans said that the preferred option for proceeding was to “temporarily pause the LDP preparation until further information, evidence and mitigation measures have been agreed.

“The Adopted Plan is in place and has no drop dead date, allowing for consideration of development proposals in areas that are not affected by phosphates.”

Other areas such as Aberaeron and Cardigan could soon be included in the restricted areas, he added, and the preferred option of Welsh Government to carry out special realignment work was unsuitable because “as it stands there’s 45 per cent of Ceredigion where we cannot build at all”.

Cllr Ceredig Davies agreed with his point that the £1m cost of preparing a new plan which would not be adopted meant the pause was a “pragmatic recommendation”.

A number of councillors raised the need for D?r Cymru to be involved in discussions, highlighting the discharge of sewage into rivers and sea over the years.

“This puts a stop on any development,” said Cllr Keith Evans, emphasising concerns about the economic impact of the proposals, which were echoed by others.

Ceredigion County Council is working with Natural Resources Wales, D?r Cymru, Welsh Government and neighbouring local authorities to find both national and local solutions to the issue.

The recommendation that the council agrees a temporary but as yet unspecified length pause for the replacement local development plan subject to confirmation by Welsh Government was approved “to allow for further work to be undertaken around the phosphate situation for evidence and data gathering and for mitigation solutions to be devised” and “to ensure the replacement plan meets the tests of soundness, is deliverable and fit for purpose”.