Councillor given dispensation to speak on Aberystwyth road closures

ABERYSTWYTH councillor and businessman will be free to speak up for residents about the ‘safe zones’ initiative which has pedestrianised streets across Ceredigion.

In response to Covid-19 guidelines from Welsh Government, Ceredigion County Council has altered pedestrian and vehicular access to areas of Aberystwyth, Aberaeron, Cardigan and New Quay.

An area included in Aberystwyth is in Cllr Ceredig Davies central ward and also where he runs his business, established for 28 years.

Cllr Davies applied for dispensation to speak on the scheme at county council at Wednesday’s (August 5) ethics and standards committee.

He said that he wanted “dispensation in order to talk to officers about the safe zones implementation and the impact on residents and businesses in the area.”

Cllr Davies said it was his role to represent the people and businesses in the town – with “a large amount” of people coming to see him already –  having been an elected member for 16 years.

He told the committee that much of the concerns of businesses had been resolved but residents were still being affected.

Some issues he had already raised included a 9-year-old woman whose carers could not get to her house which caused her distress, residents finding it difficult to park and someone with mental health issues hindered while trying to move house.

These had all been resolved he said but he required dispensation to raise further matters, which was approved by the committee.