CEREDIGION County Council has withdrawn plans for a new heritage building at Plascrug Leisure Centre to house artifacts from the county’s museum following a backlash of objections.

The council said that a plan lodged as part of the Perthyn Project was withdrawn as it “did not follow due process” and “was not signed off at the appropriate level of management.”

The plan would have seen a new Heritage Collections Centre built on land next to Plascrug Leisure Centre, with drawings indicating the building would mean a loss of sports facilities on the site, including encroaching on the current tennis courts.

Objections received in just the few days the plan was active on Ceredigion’s planning portal said that “it makes no sense whatsoever in having a heritage centre alongside Plascrug leisure centre”, labelling the scheme “stupidity at its finest.”

Llanbadarn Community Council also “strongly objected” to the plans over loss of green space and loss of trees, as well as the area being “already congested at peak times due to vicinity of local primary schools and leisure centre.”

Another nearby resident said the “site chosen could not be worse.”

Other objections argue that the Plascrug site should be used for more sporting and leisure facilities.

A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said: “The planning application for the Perthyn Project, a Heritage Collections Centre, has been withdrawn by Ceredigion County Council.

“The possible development of a Heritage Collections Centre is an aspiration for the council because we hold a valuable collection of artifacts that are an essential part of Ceredigion’s history and culture.

“However, the submission of the planning application did not follow due process and was not signed off at the appropriate level of management.

“The council would also like to confirm it has no intention of reducing the external tennis court area at Plascrug Leisure Centre, contrary to the site plan on the original planning application.

“The council apologises for any unnecessary concerns caused.”

A feasibility study in 2019 on the future development of Ceredigion Museum found that “every available” space in the building on Terrace Road was used for display and exhibitions, with some of the collections that were not on display housed in “inadequate” storage areas in the town.

Plans in the study laid out “the possibility of a new Ceredigion Heritage Collections Centre, where adults and children would be able to have behind the scenes tours and attend workshops.”

“It is envisaged that the Museum will look at creating a number of jobs to support the project including digitisation of the collections, creative community engagement, audience development, collections management and skills development,” the council said.

The new centre, if it is built on an alternative site, will likely support eight new jobs, documents show.