A young couple from Llangoedmor, desperate to make a family home in the village they grew up in, have been refused planning permission by Ceredigion County Council's Development Control Committee.

Councillors heard that Thomas and Lauren Evans had been gifted a plot of land in the village by a family member.

Following a site inspection visit in January councillors refused permission for a dwelling and business premises on a plot adjacent to Brynhyfryd, Croes-y-Llan.

A new application was subsequently submitted to planners excluding the business premises. However a report by planning officers stated that the application should be refused, as the allocation of permissions granted for the area had already been exceeded and also due to road safety concerns.

The council's Highways department stated that the visibility criteria from the proposed entrance to the property could not be met. Traffic turning onto the site would also cause traffic problems on the 60mph trunk road.

Addressing the committee the applicant's agent Matt Edwards from Castle Design, said:

"The applicants are a young local couple who wanted to get a foot on the housing ladder by building on this plot of land.

"You run the risk of them moving away from the area and losing these young people from our village and community. They would not be able to buy a plot and build elsewhere in the village.

"Tom is stone mason who has lived in the area all his life and is a valuable asset for the local community."

He said that now that the business element had been removed the amount of traffic to the house would be significantly less.

The majority of councillors said they would like to support the couple but could not overlook safety concerns.

Margaret James, Senior Engineer Planning Officer, said there were no plans to change the speed limit in the area during an ongoing speed limit review.

"This is a difficult situation," added Cllr Mark Strong. "It is important to keep a stone mason in the area but safety is paramount especially when you think about family and children. "

Cllr Catherine Hughes added:

"I can hear the babble of a baby in the back of the hall. If something were to happen to that baby it would be on my conscience that I had granted the permission."

Councillors eventually rejected the application, with 11 members voting not to grant permission, seven voting to approve and two abstentions.

Speaking after the meeting Tom Evans said that locals in the area may petition for the road to have a reduced speed limit.

"We are pleased that the reasons for refusal are for our own safety, they were doing it in our own interests," he said. "However it is a shame that they aren't considering the road for a lower speed limit."