A town councillor has called for developers who own properties on Aberystwyth promenade to face more punitive action for not improving their ‘disgusting’ appearance.
Cllr Mair Benjamin has launched a crusade for ‘civic pride’ in Aberystwyth and has taken aim at authorities over their neglect of the town.
But now she has also criticised property developers on the seafront who she accused of leaving buildings half-finished or looking dirty.
Ceredigion County Council can hand out warning notices under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to developers who neglect properties and have an adverse impact on the character and appearance of an historic area or building.
Developers can then be taken to magistrates’ court for ignoring notices from local authorities.
She said: “The public are really going nuts about the seagull droppings on the front of the shops and the fronts of the buildings on the promenade – as well as the state of the windows.
“The promenade is in such a state compared to Llandudno or Rhyl.
“It starts when you get past the pier by the Chinese restaurants, and you look above the windows, and all the bay windows above are absolutely disgusting.
“There’s a row of them which are supposed to be luxury flats and they’re absolutely disgusting.
“We’re in the summer season now and nobody is doing anything about the buildings.
“And then there’s the Belle Vue building which has been left for so long.
“And then the far end of the promenade, the old county hall has been stuck with scaffolding on it for so long – it’s been shut for years, it’s dead.
“Why can’t they all be like the Marine Hotel and the Richmond Hotel?
“Some companies own a lot of buildings on the sea front and they’re not really fulfilling their duty – to the people who rent the accommodation and the public who have to see them.
“We should be naming and shaming but half the time we can’t shame because we don’t know who owns them.
“Our town is such a mess – and we’ve got to find out who owns these places and act.
“You get up to where all the beauty should be on our promenade and it’s like a tip!
“Every council has suffered cutbacks – Llandudno has, Rhyl has had them, but they don’t look like Aberystwyth!
“But even Aberaeron and other places in the county are different. All the shops are beautiful, the pavements and streets are clean, and the buildings are painted.
“I’m an elderly lady and it just grieves me to see Aberystwyth like this.”
She also bemoaned the council’s decision to replace the paddling pool on the promenade with a sandpit – which she says is never used.
She also added that it ‘breaks her heart’ to visit Llandudno and see how beautiful it is – with children playing in the paddling pool on the seafront.
A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said; “The council will respond directly to Aberystwyth Town Council when a query is made to the council.”