When the first plans were submitted by a supermarket to build at the bottom of Quay Street they were rejected by the planners.

This was because the building was considered to be non-descript and not fitting in with the local environment.

The architects were told that the building should make more than a passing nod to the style of the warehouses that used to exist alongside the river.

There were other requirements too. That a public toilets be built to match the supermarket building, and that some of the costs of clearing and detoxing the site of the old gas works should be borne – this area became the upper car park.

A further condition was that the supermarket should pay for half of the cost of maintaining the car park. Presumably this was added as the supermarket’s customers would be using the area.

However, the latter clause was never enforced. Presumably the council just overlooked it, as, conveniently did the supermarket.

It seems that all the subsequent supermarkets that took over the building did likewise. However when the New Life Church were considering putting in for planning permission their solicitor noted the clause regarding the maintenance payment, and informed the church.

They in turn, unlike their predecessors, informed the council, who were only too pleased to resurrect the clause. So now the honesty of the church, a charity, was being rewarded with a bill that the wealthy supermarkets had never paid.

Such justice!

The church would not of course accept this clause and negotiations presumably went on for six months or more.

As planning permission has now been granted, and the church wasn’t going to give way, presumably the council saw sense and withdrew the offending clause. At last!

So now all the facilities, which were listed in last week’s Tivyside, most of which will benefit the townsfolk will be built, including a kitchen will allow provision of community meals.

Down the line there are plans to develop an all-weather, all ages, all ability family community virtual reality sports centre.

No wonder the council back tracked when the thought of losing such a marvellous set of facilities struck them.

And the Furniture Project will be moving into the old Quay Street premises .So winners all round.

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The loss of two surgeries in the area which cater for ten thousand patients gets the mind boggling.

The Ashley Surgery is closing because of retirements and the inability to recruit new GPs .

Similarly the Teifi Surgery has been similarly unable to recruit.

And I know that when the Health Centre made similar efforts some while ago they had the same nil interest.

Hywel Dda are now considering various options.

I am more than a little puzzled that they state that when the Ashley Surgery closes in February “all patients will be allocated to another practice that covers their home address.” Like where?

The Health Centre is already fully booked up and has problems now with having sufficient doctors.

The two practitioner nurses obviously ease the load a little. And the physical size of the building also limits any expansion in patient numbers.

When the Health Centre moves to the new Integrated Care Centre, probably in November 2019 there will be more physical room, but what about the extra GPs to deal with patients?

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During the Second World War there were always fears of fifth columnists doing damage to our infrastructures.

Cardigan bridge was designated an important link.

It was therefore always guarded by the Home Guard.

One night the guard noticed some ripples in the river that shouldn’t be there.

He therefore called out “Halt, who goes there?.”

No answer, so he repeats the question, again no reply.

A further warning of “Identify yourselves or I will shoot.”

This was accompanied by the distinct metallic click-click as a bullet was readied for firing.

Then a desperate “Don’t shoot” as two semi-naked bodies emerged dragging a net between them.

It was two locals who had been hoping to supplement their meagre wartime rations with whatever fish they caught!

It ended in a laugh and some finger wagging, but it could have ended up in a tragedy.