DEVELOPERS and traders in the seaside town of New Quay are at loggerheads over plans to build houses on a car park.

More than 1,500 people have signed a petition against plans by housing association Barcud, to build 30 affordable homes on Central Car Park, which will see spaces reduced from 315 to just 91, a 71 per cent reduction.

The application was delayed by Ceredigion planners earlier this month after New Quay traders raised serious concerns over the economic impact this would have.

Barcud, who own the car park, have responded to concerns saying 'failure to grant planning permission would fail to secure the long-term future of the car park' in a letter to Ceredigion council.

They also claim the development would represent a £7.5 million investment into the town.

Barcud also claims that the car park is not at capacity for most of the year, which traders in the town say ‘fundamentally misunderstands the nature and reality of tourism in New Quay’.

Responding to concerns from local traders, Barcud said in a letter to planners: “The car park is currently surfaced in gravel that is not wheelchair or pram friendly and there is no segregation between cars and pedestrians.

“The car park in its current state does not meet the CSS Wales Parking Standards and Ceredigion County Council Parking Standards SPG and requires significant investment to bring it up to an acceptable standard.

The proposed development will provide 91 public car parking spaces.

“The spaces would be serviced by a new compliant access, roads and footpaths that are properly surfaced and include disabled and electric car charging spaces.

“The total cost of the work required to provide this car park is currently estimated to be £650,000.”

In response, New Quay Traders Association said: “The town’s economy relies heavily on peak-season trade, with July and August seeing parking facilities consistently operating at full or near-full capacity.

“Evaluating the car park's viability by averaging use across the entire year ignores these crucial peak periods when local businesses generate a significant proportion of their annual turnover.

“The assertion that investing in additional parking capacity would not be commercially sensible due to off-peak underuse overlooks the critical need to sustain the town during these economically essential periods.

“Failure to provide adequate parking during peak season directly damages local businesses, undermines visitor experiences, and harms New Quay’s long-term sustainability.

“Thus, decisions on parking capacity should focus on genuine seasonal demand rather than misleading annual averages.”

The traders responding to claims of the car park’s uncertain future added: “Barcud’s claim that they are "securing the future" of 91 parking spaces in a private car park is both misleading and concerning.

“This framing implies that New Quay should be grateful for the retention of any spaces at all, yet the reality is that Barcud has taken ownership of a long-standing community asset and is now positioning itself as a private landlord over essential infrastructure.”

Ceredigion councillors are due to make a decision in April.