A second petition following plans for an affordable housing scheme in a Ceredigion seaside town car park has been launched, claiming locals are afraid to support the scheme due to “a backlash from second-homers”.

Housing association Barcud is seeking permission from Ceredigion County Council for the 100 per cent affordable scheme at Central Car Park, Towyn Road, New Quay, following an earlier pre-application consultation.

The application was recommended for conditional approval at the March meeting of the council’s development management committee, having been deferred from the February meeting for a site visit, but was again deferred, in part to consider further information submitted by objectors.

The site currently operates as a pay and display car park, owned and managed by Barcud as a commercial enterprise, which it says it could cease at any time.

The proposal includes keeping 91 of the parking spaces at the site, which council officers say could be secured “in perpetuity” if the scheme is approved.

New Quay Town Council has objected to the proposals, raising concerns including the loss of parking spaces and its impact on the tourism industry, a lack of public transport in the town to cater for additional residents, and also questions the demand for one-bed units in the town, and 29 objections raised similar issues.

At the March planning meeting, local member Cllr Matthew Vaux told the committee the New Quay Traders Association had “submitted a number of significant documents” in which they “raised real concerns as to procedural irregularities”.

The application was deferred to a future meeting, expected to be April.

Since that deferral, New Quay Traders Association has created an online change.org petition which has attracted 938 signatures to date.

That petition, Save New Quay car park -Protect our future, says the development would lead to “a severe impact on the many New Quay residents who do not have parking outside or near their homes,” adding: “It’s not the need for affordable homes that we oppose, but the chosen location. With less parking, the lifeblood of our local economy – the small businesses and tourism industry – is poised to suffer greatly.”

Since the creation of that online call, another change.org petition has been launched, called Build Homes for Locals in New Quay: Demand Ceredigion County Council Approve This Scheme.

That petition states: “As a born and bred local person of the beautiful seaside town of New Quay, Ceredigion, I am trying to prevent the rejection of a crucial plan by the Ceredigion County Council,” describing the proposal as “into a beacon of hope for many local people waiting desperately to have their own homes”.

It adds: “These houses are not intended for second home ownership or for outsiders but are destined for families and individuals who have always been part of our town’s rich tapestry.

“Unfortunately, many young families and locals who work and live here have been pushed aside due to tourism and second-homers, often at the expense of our own people. Local people are afraid to speak out in support of this application due to a backlash from second-homers so we ask that you lend our voice support here.

“The housing crisis in our town needs attention and resolving it will not just provide shelter for locals but will also invigorate our region’s economy as businesses often struggle to find employees living close by.

“A homegrown workforce means a more robust local economy which in turn translates into a prosperous New Quay. Additionally, a stable local population is paramount in supporting our schools and preserving the impeccable standard of education they offer.”