Decision on contaminated house deferred

A DECISION on converting a Cardigan house contaminated by petrol was deferred at the last minute when it was realised a council committee was not quorate.

Cardigan county councillor John Adams-lewis had called for the Ceredigion development control committee to defer an application by the local authority to convert Norwood, on Morgan Street, into two flats for temporary, move-on or supported accommodation until environmental health and legal matters were resolved.

A roll call had been carried out to check there were enough councillors present for valid proceedings, with the required 11 still in attendance towards the end of the threeand-a-half-hour meeting – but when it came to the vote one member abstained having missed some of the discussion. This rendered the vote inquorate and the matter was deferred to the next meeting.

Cllr Adams-lewis said that a pipe from a petrol tank underneath the lane next to Norwood had been leaking and the contamination had forced the family that lived there out of their home, with the “stench” also affecting the property next door.