A public meeting is to be held in Lampeter to discus the future of the town's university campus.

Bosses at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David have decided to remove courses from Wales' oldest university in Lampeter and hold them in Carmarthen from September, leading to concerns over the future of the campus and the knock-on effect this will have on the town.

To address concerns, a meeting will be held on 27 February at 7pm in the University’s Arts Hall and will be chaired by Elin Jones, MS.

The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Elwen Evans, KC and senior officers will present the context of the recent decision to transfer the Humanities provision to the University’s campus in Carmarthen and will outline some of the challenges facing the sector across the UK as the basis for discussion on the potential future for the Lampeter campus.

A spokesperson for UWTSD said: "The meeting will build on the discussions that the university has held with representatives of key stakeholder groups over the past few months.

"The intention is to continue the engagement to explore a range of economically viable, education-related activities that would bring a new, sustainable lease of life to the campus."

Ceredigion MS, Elin Jones, who will chair the public meeting, said: “There is no doubt that the university’s decision to transfer its Humanities provision from Lampeter has caused great concern for us here in Ceredigion, “but I welcome the opportunity to work with the university to look to the future and to find a viable solution so that we can safeguard the campus.

"I would encourage anyone with an interest in the future of the campus to attend”.

Professor Elwen Evans, KC, Vice-Chancellor added: “I’m grateful to Elin Jones for agreeing to chair this meeting so that we can continue to have meaningful discussions on the future of the campus.

“The decision to move the Humanities provision was difficult but necessary in order to safeguard the discipline and protect the student experience. We have been clear that the University is not closing the Lampeter campus but is actively seeking alternative ways of delivering education-related activities that provide it with a more secure future.

“The public meeting is the next step in our engagement process, and I am keen to explore ideas and suggestions with those who are committed to the future success of the Lampeter campus and the university."

Concerns have been raised by the Lampeter Chamber of Trade over the removal of courses, with calls being made for fresh educational uses to be found as quickly as possible for the campus, to bring prosperity back to the high street.

Chair Sandra Jervis said it was disappointed by University Wales Trinity St David’s (UWTSD) recent decision to relocate remaining humanities courses from Lampeter to its Carmarthen campus.

“The campus urgently needs to be brought back to life,” she said. “We need people back on a thriving campus, lots of people, if Lampeter is to prosper in the future.”