Concerns rise over proposal for new housing development

CARDIFF’S road safety centre will be turned into new homes, if planners give it permission today .

The former safety centre at Gabalfa will become home to the Briardene housing development.

It will include 30 two-bed apartments which will be for sale on the open market and nine affordable apartments.

In total, 23% of the development would be affordable homes.

The plans are for three blocks to be built. There would be two L-shaped blocks and a third block would be C-shape.

Each flat would have one parking and one bike space.

For the development to go ahead, 29 trees would have to be removed but developers say they would replant 16 new ones.

The old buildings have already been demolished.

The site neighbours Maitland Park and residents will get direct pedestrian access through a lockable gate.

Ward councillors Rhys Taylor and Ashley Wood have submitted comments to the planning committee.

They say that while the expansion of Maitland Park would benefit the community, they have concerns about parking.

The Lib Dem Councillors say although there is a parking space per flat, no visitor spaces are included.

“There is concern that visitors will use non-permit parking in the local vicinity adding to already saturated demand.

“This is expected to impact on businesses on North Road, which are dependent on the availability of parking for their customers. Further to this, there appears to be no provision that the future owners/tenants will be prevented or discouraged from owning multiple vehicles that will also be parked on the highway in the local vicinity, further exacerbating these concerns”.

Other residents and businesses have also expressed concerns about parking.

The scheme is recommended for approval, subject to conditions including that the developer should provide affordable units, the provision of a financial contribution to cover the cost of improving the safety of the slip lane onto North Road and the creation of a path through Maitland Park.

The planning committee will meet at 1.30pm today.