THE prospect of a six-month wait for social service support to adapt a home led to a Cardigan resident building an ‘annexe’ without planning permission.

A retrospective planning application for the replacement of the existing garage with a new single storey building and its use as an

annexe at Napier Gardens, Cardigan was recommended for refusal but at Wednesday’s (February 12) development control, two years' grace was permitted.

A site inspection panel visited earlier this year and were told by the applicants that when they had contacted social services about adapting their home they were told it would take six months to fill out a grant form.

This led to them developing their own solution in their garden, Ceredigion county councillors heard.

Cllr Lyndon Lloyd said that the council had a duty to provide support for the applicant, Jeremy Thomas, who had his leg amputated.

Mr Thomas had been confined to the kitchen area of the old house, and ate, washed and slept there, members of the inspection panel had been told.

Cardigan mayor Sian Williams said Mr Thomas had been a member of the RNLI for 17 years, a captain for 10 years and had received a certificate for bravery.

“He had been involved in the rescue operations during the floods in Cardigan and had been up to his neck in sewerage and that this might have contributed to the amputation of his leg”, a report of the panel visit states.

Cllr Lynford Thomas added on Wednesday that members “should be ashamed to refuse” the application.

“They have built without permission but done it not to undermine planning but because they have not had support from social services.

“For a person to wait six months after amputation is not acceptable,” he said.

This advice was incorrect said Cllr Dafydd Edwards and there was not a six month “backlog.”

Some committee members wished to follow the officer advice of refusal especially on highway concerns.

The committee agreed a compromise that the building be permitted for two years while the main house was adapted, which would require its letting as an Air B&B to cease.