Andy Bevan provides an update on developments at UWTSD’s Lampeter campus.
What exactly is going on at the Old College in Lampeter? About a year ago, Elwen Evans, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD) publicly stated the intention that all university courses were to cease at the 200-year old Lampeter Campus, with Humanities teaching transferring to UWTSD’s Carmarthen campus. This transfer took place in September 2025, with the consequent loss of cleaning, housekeeping, portering and other staff posts in Lampeter.
Since January 2025, the welsh agenda has carried occasional reports (on 22 January and 1 May) on the background to those decisions and on the impressive campaigning efforts of Lampeter townsfolk to come forward with alternative plans to keep the campus alive. These have stressed the importance of the campus as a vital hub for the wider mid-Wales economy.
The prospect of over 1000 local young people on campus, studying courses which fit well with the economic and social needs of mid-Wales was widely and warmly welcomed.
Promisingly, on 18 July 2025, a major new initiative was officially made public, spearheaded by Ceredigion County Council, who are benefitting from a £1.8m loan from Welsh Government, to buy a farm adjacent to the campus. This would be the basis for a major new vocational education centre, uniting the former university campus with Llettytwppa Farm to provide courses in agriculture, horticulture, gastronomy and tourism, amongst many others. The announcement promised a joint venture between Ceredigion County Council and UWTSD, which would focus on Further Education provision but could also leave the way open for some related Higher Education courses to return to Lampeter. This was widely and enthusiastically welcomed in Lampeter, with strong indications of support from the Town Council, the Lampeter Society (representing former students) as well as by local societies and campaign groups. The prospect of over 1000 local young people on campus, studying courses which fit well with the economic and social needs of mid-Wales was widely and warmly welcomed.
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Ceredigion Council’s Chief Executive, Eifion Evans, announced that community engagement events would take place from October onwards, but these have been delayed. According to Elin Jones MS, who represents Ceredigion in the Senedd and who has kept a watchful eye on campus development plans throughout, these delays are due to recent senior appointments in UWTSD’s Further Education sector – and the need for both major partner institutions (Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg Ceredigion which form part of UWTSD), the university and the Council, to move forward “at the same pace.”
This hiatus is regrettable, given the huge reserves of public sympathy and support – and local expertise – which are readily available for this new venture.
On 3 December, Ceredigion hosted an agricultural engagement event, with invitees from a range of interest groups including the Farmers’ Union of Wales and young farmers clubs, presumably because, as actual owners of the farm which has in effect been added to the campus estate, they feel that they are on the strongest possible ground in pressing ahead with the agricultural side of things.
High hopes were raised by the announcement in July and the promise of follow-on public engagement. Since the end of the summer, though, there has been something of a pause and much local dissatisfaction at a lack of public information while negotiations between UWTSD and the County Council proceed. This hiatus is regrettable, given the huge reserves of public sympathy and support – and local expertise – which are readily available for this new venture.
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Meanwhile, the only physical indications in Lampeter of campus developments are the prominent signs on four of the university buildings, including the Rowland Williams building and Bishop Burgess Hall, advertising sale by auction. The auctioneers’ website indicates that these sales are now postponed from December 2025 until February 2026.
The £1.8m loan which financed the farm purchase followed soon after a visit to Lampeter by the First Minister, Eluned Morgan, on 13 March, when she met with Elwen Evans and Eifion Evans. It might be time for another nudge from the highest level.
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