A building on the Rheidol retail park will be bulldozed to create extra parking spaces despite objections after owners found the current car park “struggles to adequately meet the needs of visitors” during peak times.

Lidl, which bought the freehold of the Aberystwyth retail park in 2019, expanded its store into what was then the Iceland store last year.

Mountain Warehouse, which had occupied the retail park unit that sits within the car park, moved to the former Store 21 store on the entrance to the park last year, leaving unit 5 empty.

After reconfiguring the retail park and expanded its own store since the freehold purchase, Lidl wanted to provide extra car parking space by demolishing the now empty 296sqm unit.

The plan, which was approved by Ceredigion County Council planning officers under delegated powers last week, will allow “an improvement in the car parking provision”, documents said, “and ensure the continued viability of the retained, occupied units within the park.”

“Lidl has identified that existing parking provision can, at peak times of usage, struggle to adequately meet the needs of visitors to the park, which may be detrimental to both shoppers at the park, and wider centre,” documents said.

The plan, which is set to see 23 extra car parking spaces, was objected to by Aberystwyth Town Council, who said that it “objects to the removal of quite a new building in favour of more parking spaces.”

Sharon Thomas, Director of CRAFT which uses the car park as a loading area and access, objected to the plans saying it would impact the business, with demolition work likely to “cause chaos”.

Planning documents said: “The development seeks to improve the overall viability of the existing local retail facility at an in-centre site by removal of an unviable unit.

“The proposed removal of the unit will allow additional parking to be provided in its place, to the direct benefit of local customers visiting the wider retail park and linking trips with the wider town centre.

“The development will assist in improving the overall operation of the retail park and encourage visitor movements beyond the park without further traffic movements.”

Dates for the beginning of the demolition of the building have not yet been set.