Houses to be knocked down for block of flats
TERRACED houses in Cardiff will be demolished to make way for flats.
Four terraced houses will be torn down to make way for a new block of flats, despite concerns of overdevelopment.
The houses at 160-66 Strathnairn Street, Roath, on the corner with Cottrell Road, can be knocked down after Cardiff council granted planning permission. A block of 12 flats, three storeys tall, will be built in its place.
Nine of the flats will have one bedroom while the other three flats will have two bedrooms.
But the plans have attracted criticism from local councillors and Jo Stevens, MP for Cardiff Central, for overdeveloping the area, being out of place, and the impact on parking.
Writing to the council’s planning committee, Ms Stevens said: “Demolishing four perfectly good
Victorian buildings, and replacing them with a three-storey building that towers over the neighbouring properties, constitutes an overdevelopment in the area and changes the character of the area.
“The height of the proposed property will overshadow the rooms and gardens of the neighbouring houses, blocking out natural light. This will also impact on neighbouring properties’ privacy: the proposed flats on the higher levels will have a clear view into neighbours’ gardens and rooms.”
The proposals were considered by the planning committee during a meeting on July 22. During that meeting, councillors raised concerns about the scale of the block of flats.
Cllr Lyn Hudson said: “We have small family houses in this area. The height is too great. This is going to be too imposing. It’s an unacceptable site. Why on earth are we looking at putting something that’s out of character on these small streets?”
Cllr Iona Gordon said: “I think it’s at least four flats too big. There’s something very pleasant about the rhythm of these little streets, with small terraced houses. This is totally incongruous. The whole development is out of place and will spoil the area.”
Another issue raised was car parking. The plans don’t include spaces to park a car, and under council policy the area is deemed “sustainable”, meaning future residents can walk, cycle or take the bus, instead of relying on a car.
But if future residents do own a car, they will have to park on the already busy streets nearby.
Cllr Ali Ahmed said: “These are very narrow streets and parking is a major problem in this part of the city. It’s very difficult to find a parking space. This will increase the parking problems in this area.”
Despite the concerns, councillors on the planning committee voted eight to three to grant permission to demolish the houses and build the block of houses.