AN APPLICATION for a new Aldi supermarket on university land in Lampeter, which has attracted hundreds of supporters, has been turned down by county planners, but may well be appealed.
The contentious scheme, repeatedly recommended for refusal by Ceredigion County Council planning officers, has a long history of repeated appearances before the county’s development management committee.
The plans by Aldi Stores Ltd for a foodstore at Trinity St Davids Playing Fields Pontfaen Road, along with the refurbishment of a Grade II-listed sports pavilion, the installation of three pre-fabricated wooden ‘food village’ exhibition pods, and a nature and biodiversity area with associated access, car parking and landscaping, were previously recommended for refusal last summer.
Last July, members of the council’s development management committee instead gave the scheme cautious backing, invoking a ‘cooling off’ period, meaning it would be decided at a later date.
A spanner in the works for the scheme’s progression last year was a Welsh Government ‘holding direction’ issued at the time, which meant members could consider the application, but could not grant permission.
The application returned to February’s committee but was deferred to the March 12 committee after last-minute extra information had been submitted by the applicants.
The application site currently provides two grass rugby pitches which are used for rugby, cricket, football, hockey and other sporting activities by St David’s College, now the University of Wales Trinity Saint Davids, the site owners. Within the southern part of the site is a Grade II listed pavilion.
While positive benefits of the proposal were noted, it was recommended for refusal on the harm on the setting of the Grade-II-listed pavilion, no “quantitative or qualitative need for the proposed foodstore in Lampeter,” and having a “major detrimental impact” on other stores, including the existing Sainsburys store in the town and “a major adverse impact on both Aberaeron and Llandysul town centres, with losses of around 10 per cent of total convenience trade predicted,” New Quay’s Costcutters store also mentioned as being at risk.
That figure has been claimed to be as high as 40 per cent for some stores in Lampeter by officers.
There had been hundreds of voices of support, together with a petition in support of the scheme, and local member Cllr Ann Bowen Morgan has said both the town council and the chamber of commerce had supported the plans, adding Lampeter “noted as a deprived area” would welcome affordable food on its doorstep.
Cllr Morgan also raised the issue of potential jobs created by the scheme, made more important following the recent decision to end undergraduate teaching at town’s university.
At the March meeting, members heard from officers that Aldi’s own retail statement suggested customers would travel from as far south as Newport, Pembrokeshire and Ynys Las, despite there being nearer Aldi stores in Cardigan and Aberystwyth, with the store expecting a circa £11m turnover against an officer projection of nearer £5.9m.
Following a question from Cllr Rhodri Evans, members heard the scheme could be ‘called in’ by Welsh Government or there could be a judicial review, officers saying “a credible threat” of a potential judicial review had been received.
Cllr Marc Davies, who moved refusal with “a heavy heart” raised concerns about the loss of cheaper shopping bills for “people on the breadline” and expressed concerns about the future of the playing fields if the development didn’t go ahead, suggesting the matter could eventually be decided by Cardiff.
Members voted 10 in favour and two against the officer recommendation of refusal.
