Hundreds in protest against hospital
HUNDREDS of people have taken part in a weekend of protests against the building of a £180m cancer centre in the north of Cardiff.
Health Minister Vaughan Gething gave the go-ahead for the development of the new Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch in March.
Supporters of the scheme say a new centre is urgently needed, and that the area of land for which it was given planning permission in 2017 offers a suitable site for the new development.
But opponents have raised concerns about the impact on ecology and the local environment.
The new centre, which includes a hospital, is planned to be built on a greenfield site known as the Northern Meadows between Whitchurch
Hospital and Asda at Coryton.
The facility is set to replace the current 60-year-old Velindre Cancer
Centre but many residents from the campaign group Save the Northern Meadows say the plans will cause “irreversible damage” to a beautiful area.
They claim it will damage wildlife, cause traffic problems, and lead to a loss of green space.
The group have been sleeping out on the meadow over the weekend and around 200 people took part in a protest walk through Whitchurch village to the meadow yesterday afternoon.
They gathered at Whitchurch Common in the morning before walking up Merthyr Road towards the meadows.
Announcing the plan was to go ahead, Mr Gething said the proposals had been subject to a long and detailed scrutiny process by the Welsh Government.
He added: “Our current Velindre Cancer Centre has delivered exceptional service to people for many decades. It is known as a special place by those people who have needed its crucial support at one of the most difficult times in their lives.
“But, like all buildings, there comes a time when we have to look to the future and ensure that people can continue to get the best possible care for the decades ahead.” The new centre is expected to be ready by 2025.
The Save the Meadows protest group says: “This will cause immeasurable damage to the people living nearby.
“This is not the right model of cancer care for the future and it is not the right location.
“We will continue to fight this decision which disregards the needs of future generations, of the local community, of biodiversity, and our commitment to the climate.”