Superstore plans for Bath-house 'up in air'

Construction of the store cannot go ahead until the issues with the site are resolved – and there are also concerns about slippage on the new access road from Gwbert Road, the local Traffic Forum in the town was told last week.

“I have flown over the area a couple of time in recent weeks and it just looks like a pond,” said Cllr John Adams-lewis.

He added that residents in houses in Bron y Dre, which is adjacent to the site, have reported slippage problems at the back of their houses. “The store want to put a large fuel tank up there, so there will have to be a lot of care taken,” he said.

Cllr Catrin Miles added: “Some of the residents have re-rendered their houses since damage was caused there.”

Ceredigion County Council highways officer Kevin Aldritt told the Forum that the building of the store has “already been put back a year” because of stability issues.

“The store won’t be built until Sainsbury’s are satisfied the land is stable. The start date is up in the air.

“ There is a lot of movement on the new road too. Until we get stability and the new road can be opened they won’t be able to bring construction vehicles along that road, and they can’t go through the town,” he said.

Mr Aldritt added that planning agreements have recently been reviewed and revised with Sainsbury’s. “We now have money to look at the Feidr Fair link and at signage to the car parks in town as well as improvements to the Gwbert Road connections,” he said.

“But it is all tied in with the opening of the store. We can’t do any design work on these linked items until the build starts and we don’t know when that will be.”

Sainsbury’s say that the site contractor, instructed by the developer , is currently carrying out work “in line with the development agreement with Sainsbury’s”.

“We hope to have the site handed over to us in the New Year,” the company says in a statement, and it adds that the schedule of works will be finalised once the company is on site.