House to be demolished to make way for cycle path

FAMILIES have lost a battle to stop the demolition of a “perfectly good” £300,000 private home to make way for a cycle path.

Nearly 300 residents signed a petition to save the four-bedroom house which was built in a leafy cul-de-sac less than 20 years ago.

Cardiff council approved the destruction order as part of plans to create a cycle path for 45 new social housing homes next to existing private houses in the Pontprennau suburb on Tuesday.

The house had been bought by site developers United Welsh.

Retirees Vaughan and Alison Williams said they will now consider moving from their home on the street for more than 20 years.

They said: “We’ve got no problem with social housing and when we purchased our property it was in a quiet cul-de-sac. The demolition won’t make us feel secure and it’ll change the dynamic of the street. You don’t expect a perfectly good house to be demolished. The cycle path leads to nowhere.”

Neighbour Joanna Fashan, who presented the petition to Cardiff council’s planning committee, said: “Residents deliberately purchased properties on this street as it was a closed cul-de-sac, knowing we could raise our families safely, have quiet retirements, feel safe living alone and all the other positives.

“This alleyway creates a rat run. We are therefore at risk of higher crime rates, for example from opportunist car thieves.”

The Daily Telegraph contacted Cardiff council for comment.