An offer from a member of the public to fund improvements aimed at restoring the historic appearance of Aberystwyth Castle gardens has been turned down by town councillors.

The proposal included bringing back historic planting schemes, such as rose beds, as part of an attempt to recreate the gardens’ former appearance.

The offer was raised at Aberystwyth Town Council’s General Management Committee in September before being considered further through the council’s finance process.

A recommendation to broadly proceed with the private donation and investigate potential designs subsequently came before the full council on 28 September.

However, councillors decided not to accept the offer.

Members thanked the unnamed individual for what they described as a generous proposal, but said the Castle Grounds are used for a range of events and other activities. The council said it had not intended for the area concerned to be developed as a garden because it wanted to retain sufficient open space for events and other uses.

Councillors also argued that any private donation towards the site should contribute to a project determined by the council, rather than the donation itself determining how the land would be used in future. The council resolved to write to the person behind the offer thanking them, while explaining that the proposed garden would interfere with the use of the area for events and activities.

The decision comes as separate improvements to the Castle Gardens are already planned through Aberystwyth’s Transforming Towns programme.

Councillors were told in September that improvements to the gardens, alongside festoon lighting, planters, gazebos and new information boards elsewhere in the town, would form part of a wider project worth around £96,000, you can read our feature piece on this project via www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/aberystwyth-town-improvements-959831

Aberystwyth Town Council assumed responsibility for maintaining the Castle Grounds, alongside several other green spaces, from Ceredigion County Council in November 2024.