Bath-house: silent majority must speak out (From Tivyside Advertiser)

Bath-house: silent majority must speak out

2:31pm Monday 12th May 2008

• Print
• Email
• Share

CARDIGAN will become a ghost town if the £50million Bath-house superstore and hospital scheme is blocked, claim the developers, Liberty Mercian.

In a statement issued today the company maintains that the development will create hundreds of new jobs and "breathe new life" into the town centre.

The developers are urging what they call the "silent majority who support the scheme", to speak out.

"Cardigan needs to be able to attract shoppers from far and wide if its town centre is to continue to survive as a viable retail destination. At the moment it is not doing that, there are shops sitting vacant, and unless something is done to change it then this situation will only get worse," said Scott Gibbs, development director at Liberty Mercian.

"The Bath-house development will encourage shoppers into town and local traders will only benefit from the increased footfall into Cardigan, ensuring that the town centre prospers. This development will save it from becoming a ghost town. This is a wonderful opportunity to completely revitalise Cardigan," he said.

And Mr Gibbs claims: "There is a silent majority out there who believe that such a development is essential ... public opinion is not as clear cut as some opponents are making out. Experience tells us that the people who are happiest about a proposed development tend to be the quietest, but in this instance, we would urge them to speak up while they have the chance, to ensure that Cardigan gets the scheme it deserves that can regenerate the whole town centre."

He said the scheme will provide additional car parking that will service the town centre and Theatr Mwldan "making it even easier for visitors to use the whole of Cardigan's retail offer"

Cardigan town councillors are to hold a special meeting to discuss the latest plans for Bath-house.

Councillors want planning officers to explain the new scheme which will have a single access via Pendre.

"This time we don't want to be caught napping as we were last time," Cllr Melfydd George told the town council.

Cllr Mair Morris voiced concern at the single access plans.

"I can't see how any development can continue with only one access. I can see it working with two but not with one.".

• Print
• Email
• Share