Campaigners fighting flats plan claim ‘city’s heritage being stripped’
CAMPAIGNERS are raising money to take legal action against a decision to give planning permission for a modern apartment block in a conservation area.
Cardiff council approved plans for the block of apartments on Cathedral Road on October 14, despite hundreds of objections.
Many people objected to how the modern design of the planned apartments jarred with the Victorian architecture in the Cathedral Road conservation area.
Now campaigners living nearby have begun raising money to pay for legal action and potentially appealing the decision, using crowdfunding - where a large group of people each give a small amount of money.
Ian Staples, a lecturer at the University of South Wales, lives in Riverside with his wife and daughter. He began the crowdfunding campaign to “help stop Cardiff council from allowing profit-hungry developers overdeveloping an existing site in a beautiful conservation area”.
Mr Staples said: “Developers in Cardiff are being given free rein to strip our city of its heritage and replace it with badly designed blocks of flats. Where once stood beautiful and interesting buildings, now we have ugly square tower blocks, with little consideration given to the city’s residents, heritage or communities.
“Cardiff council’s planning department has failed to protect the conservation area, ignoring the rules of its own conservation act, and the wishes of the community - a pattern repeated all too frequently across Cardiff.
“This neighbourhood is meant to be protected under the Cathedral Road Conservation Area Act, so that current and future generations of residents and visitors can enjoy its architectural beauty and history.”
The campaigners have already raised more than a quarter of their £6,000 target. They will spend the money on getting advice from a barrister and potentially sending a pre-action letter to the council, if there are grounds to challenge the planning decision.
Jude Thomas, who also lives nearby, campaigned against the original decision to approve permission for the block of flats. She said: “These are rules that we all have to adhere to as temporary custodians of the Victorian homes in our neighbourhood, so it’s really frustrating to see Cardiff council allow new developers to come in and ignore their own rules.
“It seems to be one rule for them and one for us.”
The campaigners also criticised how the developers were allowed to pay less than 2% - £12,000 out of £650,000 - of the Section 106 money the council asked for the development. This money is supposed to fund the extra pressure on local infrastructure.
The neighbourhood around Cathedral Road was first made a conservation area in 1972. The area was built in the late 19th century by the third Marquis of Bute, according to the council’s conservationists in an appraisal of the area in 2007.
A Cardiff council spokesperson said: “While the former vicarage lies within the Cathedral Road conservation area, the building itself isn’t listed and is in a derelict condition. There was also an existing conservation area consent in place for the demolition of the building.
“The detailed officer report and the extensive debate at the planning committee, on October 14, carefully considered the impact of the proposal on the conservation area. All proper procedures were followed with regards to this application.
“The council worked with the developer to ensure the scale of the building was reduced, compared with earlier plans. The council has also ensured that all mature trees on the site are being retained.”