Campaigners asking for a safe route to Welsh Water’s multi million pound sewage work refurbishments in Cardigan say that their preferred route should become the permanent access to the site.

The £20 million sewage plant expansion works should stop overflows of effluent into the surrounding area following high tides.

Last year the Cardigan plant was branded the worst sewage works in terms of illegal discharges after a report by former UCL professor Peter Hammond revealed that it had illegally spilled for more than 200 days each year from 2019-2022.

Residents of Cardigan’s Netpool area are concerned that the proposed access to the two year expansion project poses a multitude of dangers.

They have welcomed Welsh Water’s agreement to undertake a feasibility study into using Bathhouse Road as access during the work, but argue that this should be the permanent route used to access the sewage treatment plant.

“In the 1970s when this plant was first set up this would not have been an option as the Bath House Road site did not exist,” said For Safety’s Sake campaigner Rose Barter.

“However if the road was opened up, it would avoid the very difficult and dangerous traffic use during the two year building period.

“It is obvious to me that the answer to this [feasibility] study will be that it is way too costly to create this route for short term use during the site construction, since the entire site is geared towards expanding the entry currently in use.

“However, were Dwr Cymru to rethink the plans for their works, the 100 vehicles a week (approx. 15 journeys a day) they currently run through Netpool Park, which is a designated Footpath, could be permanently rerouted and the designated footpath/Coastal Path would no longer also have to be a works access.”

Rose pointed out that the hazards along the Netpool route included the popular skate park, the cemetery and chapel of rest and the access to the coast path.

She said that as well as concerns over the safety of children and young people accessing the skate park, there were worries that traffic problems would cause distress to those attending funerals or coming to pay their respects to loved ones in the cemetery.

“At peak times there will be 30 Lorry journeys and 60 car journeys per day over a two year period. There is no pavement and no escape from traffic like this.

“We have asked Dwr Cymru to consider a permanent reroute via the Bath House Road site,” said Rose.

“We have asked them to consider a much wider study, starting from the assumption that the current access route is untenable and the alternative route will be used.

“I am aware that this will cost time and money, but in the long run Welsh Water would be not only avoiding the potential of a tragic accident, but also giving the people of the Town a new green space that no longer has a work access running through it.”

A Welsh Water spokesperson said: “We met with local residents, councillors and businesses in June.

“This was following concerns raised about the existing access to Cardigan Wastewater Treatment Works being used as part of our planned investment work at the site.

“We are currently carrying out a feasibility study into an alternative route and we will present our findings to the local community once this study is complete.”