Concerns raised that affordable homes scheme could lead to increased antisocial behaviour

Bruce Sinclair, local democracy reporter

Claims have been made that a scheme for 30 affordable homes in a Ceredigion seaside town, expected to be approved next week, could lead to increased antisocial behaviour and even be used to house people ‘coming from Birmingham’.

Housing association Barcud is seeking permission from Ceredigion County Council for the 100 per cent affordable scheme at Central Car Park, Towyn Road, New Quay, following an earlier pre-application consultation.

The application is recommended for conditional approval at the February 13 meeting of the council’s development management committee.

The site currently operates as a pay and display car park, owned and managed by Barcud.

Parking

Following a public consultation where concerns about a loss of parking were raised, the proposal was amended to the site having 10 one-bed flats, six two-bed flats, 10 two-bed semi-detached houses and four three-bed semis, along with more than 90 parking spaces.

New Quay Town Council has objected to the proposals, raising concerns including the loss of parking spaces and its impact on the tourism industry, a lack of public transport in the town to cater for additional residents, and also questions the demand for one-bed units in the town.

The scheme saw 29 objections and one letter of support.

Objections included the impact of the development on tourism and the local economy through the loss of parking provision, questions about who would reside in the units, social housing not needed and inappropriate for the town, and the impact on local services.

‘Benefits’

One objector said: “Many of the houses will be given over to ‘Housing Association’ houses, meaning that many of the families will be on benefits. This in turn means they will have no spending power in the village and thus will bring no benefits to businesses, i.e the shops, restaurants, DIY shops, hairdressers and other hospitality businesses.

“It is well known that families on benefits do not look after their properties and the area that is the car park will become scruffy and unkempt. Further, as with other similar areas within the local area and having spoken with a local and very experienced PCSO, police will be called upon more frequently; they are few and response times will be lengthy.”

The objector also claimed families would “be coming from Birmingham,” with the council receiving funding for them.

It finished: “…the tiny village of New Quay is not set up to accept this type of housing and the people it will bring. The village and its infrastructure is too small and finite. Services will not be increased to support them, and the local community will be left to pick up the pieces of antisocial behaviour and increased used of services.”

Another said: “Ceredigion Council seem to determined to drive out tourism in New Quay through increased Council Tax, inadequate and insufficient public toilets and bins and now decreased parking availability.”

Demand

In a report for planners, the county’s Senior Housing Officer has said the greatest demand for housing in Ceredigion is for one-bed properties, with 245 in the Aberaeron ‘region,’ and “over 1,900 in the county,” with the intention to apply a local lettings policy, which prioritises the applicants from the immediate area.

“Due to the limited number of social housing stock and recent development in New Quay it would be valid to suggest a lot of the people on the housing register don’t select New Quay as an option as they think that is very unlikely to be availability in that specific area. It is very desirable area to live, and I believe if housing becomes available then it will be oversubscribed.”

A supporting statement for the scheme says: “The brief and vision of the scheme is to provide affordable housing to assist in meeting the housing need within New Quay and surrounding areas, through well-designed and high-quality residential units.”

The application post-consultation said: “In general, there was support for the development to come forwards and there was an acknowledgement that the site has been allocated for residential development within the adopted LDP.”

Regarding the car parking, the applicant says: “The existing car park is provided as a commercial enterprise, and the landowner is under no obligation to continue to provide car parking facilities for visitors to New Quay. Should the landowner wish, the use of the land as a car park could be ceased at any time.”

A previous application at the site, for 39 dwellings, was refused in 2020.