Plans to knock down a former care home in Penparcau and build an affordable housing development on the site have been submitted to planners.

Wales & West Housing bought the former Bodlondeb care home and the land it sits on from Ceredigion County Council in December last year.

The 50-bed care home was closed by the county council in 2018 despite vociferous opposition from local residents and was put on the market with priority being given to buyers who intended to use the site for social care.

Its ongoing closure, with no plans over its future forthcoming from the county council since it shut its doors caused anger in the community.

After failing to find a buyer, however, Ceredigion County Council then put it back up for sale with priority given to social housing use more than five years after it was closed.

The sale price of the former care home has yet to be revealed.

In a pre-planning consultation, Wales & West Housing said that it would aim to transform the site with “plans for quality, modern, energy-efficient homes that will help to meet the high demand for housing for local people of all ages in Aberystwyth.”

The scheme will see 18 homes built on the site with a mix of one, two and three bedroom homes.

A six bedroom house will also be built.

All the homes will be affordable.

An original scheme for the site would have seen 22 homes built, but concerns over access forced a layout change, documents outline.

The scheme includes a row of terraced houses at numbers 1 to 5 Hen Ysgol which would also be demolished.

The pre-planning consultation ran until 20 September – during which no objections were received - and now Wales & West Housing has applied to Ceredigion County Council for full planning permission to push forward with the scheme.

In planning documents the housing association said the scheme “would result in the redevelopment of a site which is no longer in use for much needed affordable homes.”

“The site is considered to be an appropriate location for residential development, in a sustainable location located in close proximity to local services and facilities,” documents added.

Documents said the plan would “contribute towards achieving Ceredigion County Council’s ambitions to deliver 1,100 much needed affordable homes” in the county.

The scheme will be decided upon by Ceredigion County Council planners at a later date.