Tourism concerns amid plans for affordable homes on car park site

Bruce Sinclair Local Democracy Reporter

Contentious plans to build 30 affordable homes on a car park in a Ceredigion seaside town which has the highest number of holiday lets or second homes in the county, are being recommended for approval next week.

Housing association Barcud is seeking permission from Ceredigion County Council for a £7.5m 100 per cent affordable scheme at Central Car Park, Towyn Road, New Quay, following an earlier pre-application consultation.

It is estimated the 30 homes would lead to up to an extra 98 permanent residents in the Ceredigion town with the highest number of second homes.

A report for planners ahead of the May 14 meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee says: “The proportion of properties in New Quay used as second homes or as holiday residences is the highest of any settlement in Ceredigion, 26 per cent of all homes,” the report says, adding: “Due to difficulty in collecting such data in the area, this is predicted to be an undercount and is recognised as such nationally.”

Tourism concerns

The site currently operates as a pay and display car park, owned and managed by Barcud as a commercial enterprise, which it says it could cease at any time.

The proposal includes keeping 91 of the parking spaces at the site for public use, which council officers say could be secured “in perpetuity” if the scheme is approved.

The application was recommended for conditional approval at the March meeting of the council’s development management committee, having been deferred from the February meeting for a site visit, but was deferred again.

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, and 29 objections raised similar issues.

At the March committee meeting, members heard New Quay Traders Association had “submitted a number of significant documents” in which they “raised real concerns as to procedural irregularities”.

The application was deferred to a future planning committee for the additional documents to be assessed along with any further information from the applicant.

Since that deferral, New Quay Traders Association has created a slick online change.org petition against the scheme, Save New Quay car park -Protect our future, complete with QR code signs dotted around the town, saying the loss of the car parking would have a detrimental impact of local business.

“The car park is central to our local economy and taking away this space will lead to a significant decrease in visitors and tourists. It’s a simple equation – less parking equals less visitors.

“Less visitors will impact our economy and cause job losses. Not only will this impact economic growth but also cause local congestion and less spaces for local residents.”

“Existential threat”

That petition has attracted nearly 2,500 signatures to date.

Sara Powell, representing the New Quay Traders Association has previously said: “The loss of this car park poses an existential threat to New Quay’s economy, and CCC’s handling of the matter so far has only increased public distrust in the integrity of the process.”

An alternative petition was launched shortly afterwards, Build Homes for Locals in New Quay: Demand Ceredigion County Council Approve This Scheme, claiming locals are afraid to support the scheme due to “a backlash from second-homers”.

The application is again recommended for approval at the May 14 meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee.

An officer report says claims by opponents to the scheme that the loss of parking is being “disregarded” and “dismissed” is refuted by the authority.

It says the gravel car park, with a 209-space capacity, would, Barcud says, need “significant investment to bring it to an acceptable standard,” estimated at £650,000.

It says that in the event of the 91 spaces being filled, signage will direct motorists to other car parks: Church Road car park – 121 spaces; Rock Street car park, 102; Glanmor Terrace,23 on street; Wellington Place,24; and privately run Lewis Terrace, 169 off street spaces.

“Barcud state to have had dialogue with the owner of the privately-operated car park on Lewis Terrace who does not currently open all year due to a stated lack of demand,” the report says.

It adds: “The LPA does not dispute that the reduction in parking capacity at this site would result in the displacement of some vehicles during selected seasonal periods.

“However, to claim that the viability and vitality of the town as a whole will ‘plainly’ be undermined is conjecture. The LPA would contest that the proposed development presents significant year-around economic benefits to the local economy with the addition of up to 98 permanent residents into the heart of the town – New Quay being the settlement with the highest number of second homes and residences used as short-term lets across the whole of Ceredigion.”

The report states there is a need for affordable housing both locally, in the Aberaeron region, and in the county, with needs in New Quay alone of one-bed units (proposed: 10 flats) of 29, two-bed units (proposed: six flats + 10 houses) 22, three-bed units (proposed: four houses) – six.

“The above data unequivocally demonstrates that the affordable housing need within New Quay of units proposed by this development is greater than the number and mix,” the report says.