Plans to replace a former Penparcau care home with housing are recommended for approval by Ceredigion council planners despite developers refusing to install connecting path to make the site more accessible to the rest of the village and lessen any road safety risk.

The application by Wales and West Housing seeks to demolish the former Bodlondeb care home as well as the former school that sits at the entrance of Bodlondeb on Penybont hill.

A full application for 18 homes on the site went before the council’s development management committee on 12 March.

It was recommended for approval, but members decided to delay a decision until they could visit the site amid concerns over access.

Local councillors Shelley Childs and Carl Worrall raised concerns over access to the proposed new homes leading onto the A4120, which Cllr Childs said is 'one of the busiest roads in Ceredigion'.

Councillors also called for a connecting path to make the site more accessible to the rest of the village.

The application is now set to go back before the committee on 9 April – again recommended for approval – despite Wales and West Housing refusing to act on councillors’ concerns.

A planning report to be put before member said that “members inspected the site for the proposed development and noted the existing link from the site to Bryn Place which had been closed off by the developers and which was proposed to be removed as part of the development.”

“The Panel were unanimous in their opinion that a link from the site to the surrounding area would be essential in addressing permeability and connectivity and expressed concern that the intention to utilise the existing access onto Heol y Bont, which was a very busy highway, would raise highway and pedestrian safety concerns especially to children who would want to access the neighbouring playground,” the report said.

The report added that while the council “did not object to the application as it stood”, it was “acknowledged that the failure to provide a link which would result in a safer pedestrian route to and from the site did not act in the spirit of active travel.”

The report said that since the site meeting - where councillors urged planning officer to talk to developers about the access and link path – discussions had taken place with Wales and West Housing but they had “rejected the possibility of providing the link as they do not feel that a request to provide a non Active Travel compliant footpath which would potentially impact their chances of obtaining grant funding for the scheme was justified or that the application itself specifically requires the footpath link.”

“Whilst it is disappointing that a link is not being provided, it is the opinion of the authority that this fact alone on planning balance does not justify rejection of the application,” the planning report concludes.

“It is considered that the proposal provides a justified need for affordable housing in a sustainable location and the recommendation is still one of approval.”