Plans for Ceredigion’s second ‘Wellbeing Centre’ are moving forward after Ceredigion County Council announced preferred sites for the project.

The county’s first Wellbeing Centre was opened in Lampeter last year despite local objections.

Council agreed in December 2022 that the second centre would be in Cardigan and launched a feasibility study and online survey into the potential options.

The report said that the exercise “reinforced that the concept of developing a Wellbeing Centre in Cardigan is widely supported”.

Ceredigion council initially identified four potential sites for the new centre: Fairfield car park; Cardigan Memorial Pool; Teifi Leisure Centre; and Dolwerdd fields.

In its appraisal of the potential scheme, Fairfield car park and the pool were treated as a joint potential site, with the preferred option being a new build on the site rather than renovation of existing buildings.

The report said that the “remodelling of Teifi Leisure Centre remains a strong option for development” and that “developing this site would allow the council to bring most of the town’s sport and leisure facility provision into one single site.”

Dolwerdd Fields was dismissed as not being a potential site for the building “at this time”, with the council happy to move ahead with the other two options still on the table.

The report says: “It is the opinion of officers that Cardigan Memorial Pool / Fairfield Car Park and Teifi Leisure Centre are the most suitable sites for the Wellbeing Centre Development and that the Dolwerdd Fields site is no longer considered.

“It is also considered that a new build development is the preferred option for the Memorial Pool / Fairfield Car Park site rather than a part demolition/refurbishment.

“The site options appraisal has identified that each of the appraised sites has the potential to accommodate the proposed new Wellbeing Centre.

“For all sites further assessments in respect of parking, transport and planning are recommended.

Lampeter Leisure Centre was transformed into a Wellbeing Centre and opened in June.

The scheme received a number of objections when it was proposed, with Lampeter Town Council objecting to the reduction in the sports hall size, as did a local netball club, 18 residents, and the town’s two county councillors at the time.

A petition against the changes to the town’s leisure centre attracted more than 600 signatures.

Once a preferred site is agreed for Cardigan’s wellbeing centre, plans and applications for funding will begin.