Demolition work nearing completion at former Cardigan Hospital site

Work on the demolition of parts of the former Cardigan Hospital site is expected to be completed within a month, paving the way for the next phase of the development.

The final piece of the demolition is the wall along the entrance to the town at Pont-Y-Cleifion, known locally as the “prison wall.” These works should happen in a matter of days and to keep the site safe and secure timber hoarding will be put in place while the works are ongoing.

Since November Wales & West Housing (WWH) contractors have been preparing the site for the development of 34 eco-friendly, energy-efficient apartments for local people, alongside new offices for WWH staff, and a regional base for its in-house maintenance company Cambria Maintenance Services.

The original Priory House will remain, forming a focal point of the project. It will be developed into a community café and offices with public gardens and walkways created as part of the wider development.

Before any demolition work could begin WWH employed a landscape consultant and tree surgeon to carry out a detailed survey of all the trees on the site and worked with Ceredigion Council’s ecologist and St Mary’s Church officials to obtain permission for the removal of some of the trees. This included some decayed trees and Leylandii along the perimeter.

Wales & West Housing Group Deputy Chief Executive, Shayne Hembrow, said: “All materials from the demolition are being kept on site and reused to raise the site levels to reduce risk of flooding in future.”

“For so many years the Priory House has been hidden but it is exciting to see the original building stripped back ready to become the focal point of this project. When the wall along Pont Y Cleifion comes down it will look really different and in time we will reinstate the pavement so people can more easily walk into town.”
Wales & West Housing Group Deputy Chief Executive, Shayne Hembrow