Organisers of a major car rally in Ceredigion have defended the planning of the event following new criticism from residents.

Residents from Cwmystwyth have joined those from Llandre in criticising the organisers for failing to consult rural villagers prior to pushing ahead with this year’s Rali Ceredigion event, which takes place on 2 and 3 September.

Llandre resident Tadeusz Olewicz says, although he and his neighbours won’t be ‘prisoners in their own homes’ as they first thought, they will be heavily restricted - and many oppose the route passing through the village.

Meanwhile, Cwmystwyth resident Sandy Neville claims the village will be taken over for a 30-hour period by the race – and residents will only be able to travel through it freely if they produce a security pass.

She said: “This is an extraordinarily onerous imposition. Surely ‘No Parking’ signs with the threat of any vehicle infringing these being towed away would suffice and would not affect residents running businesses – including local pottery, B&B and holiday cottages - during what will be the last weekend of the school holidays.

"Furthermore, during two three-hour slots, when the rally cars will be passing through, the roads will be closed to all traffic. This will affect those who are working or who have appointments or any other need to get to or from the village.”

Phil Pugh, chairman of the Rali Ceredigion organising team, said: “The organising team visits all residents and businesses on competitive sections up to three times before the event to liaise with them and work together to agree solutions to any access issues that are highlighted to us – this includes ensuring arrangements are made to accommodate carers working with elderly and vulnerable members of the community.

“This process began in January, will continue until August and has been extremely well received in all areas as residents understand we are working hard to ensure their movement and plans for that weekend are not affected. Many local businesses, B&Bs and holiday cottages welcome the event for the increased trade and benefits to the local economy it brings

"We were present at the residents’ public meeting in Llandre and were disappointed that Mr Olewicz did not attend, however, everyone left content and much better informed after we had a clear and sensible discussion based on fact rather than rumours and speculation. We have completed our second wave of visits in this area and there have been no further objections.”

A Ceredigion County Council spokesperson said: “Rali Ceredigion is a privately organised event that generates enormous economic benefits to Ceredigion. This is an international event that profiles Ceredigion at its very best, it has wide national television and worldwide social media coverage. The organisers ensure it is a carbon neutral event and are keen to showcase new technologies in the sport with an electric powered vehicle running in last year’s rally.

“The hospitality sector reported significant occupancy rates over the event weekend last year with cafes, restaurants and bars reporting a very high increases in footfall. The social media spread ensured our natural resources were showcased to a worldwide audience and this has subsequently benefitted the wider tourism sector. These are all priorities identified within the council’s corporate strategy and therefore committed to providing long term support to the event.

“In regards to concerns raised, the council will look at ways of mitigating the potential impact on movement without detracting unduly from the viability of the event and people’s enjoyment of it and will take into account the scale and nature of the event. The event organiser will assess any measure that could affect access to premises or property, or restrict parking in a particular area, and would undertake an appropriate consultation and notification to minimise/mitigate the impact on local businesses and residents and allow those affected to make alternative arrangements.”