Shed at Mwnt, near Cardigan, gets green light to host events

The shed at Mwnt has hosted several events since being used for the owner's wedding

A farm shed which has been hosting live music and fundraising events for more than a year can carry on doing so, Ceredigion councillors have ruled.

David Symmons told them he used the building on the family farm near Mwnt for his wedding in 2017 and had staged other events since then to diversify.

But he told councillors he had not realised he needed planning permission.

They backed his application after he pledged to widen part of the narrow single track road to Mwnt beach.

The retrospective change-of-use application proposed the area still be used for agriculture, but also for the hosting of up to 15 events a year with room for 150 people, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Symmons said the shed had already hosted 12 events, including fundraisers for the local air ambulance and the former Ferwig Primary School, now in use as a village hall.

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Planning officers from Ceredigion County Council recommended refusal, citing concerns about traffic, particularly if it restricted access for emergency vehicles to the popular beach near Cardigan.

In a report to the development control committee on Wednesday, they also claimed the plan would have a "detrimental impact upon the amenity of residents and tourists that visit the area", particularly if events were held in the daytime.

Dilwyn Jenkins, a member of Ferwig Community Council, attended the meeting to back the plan, saying the promised road improvements were important to the area.

Some members of the committee also acknowledged the prospect of "community gain" as a reason for allowing the change of use despite the misgivings of officers.