Stop ‘dithering’, council group told in terrace uproar
CARDIFF council’s ruling body has been accused of “dithering” as the planned demolition of one of the last remaining original terraces in the city centre moves closer.
Critics have called on the Labour cabinet to bring forward plans to protect Guildford Crescent, which includes the Gwdihw music venue, Madeira and Thai House restaurants.
As it stands, the council’s planning department has a statutory duty to determine the landlord Rapport’s application to demolish the block by February 4.
Opposition councillor Neil McEvoy called on the Labour ruling group to bring forward the proposal to make the street a conservation area – which would put an obligation on the landlord to show how it was going to preserve or enhance the character or appearance of the area through the proposal.
Cllr McEvoy, who was deputy leader of the council between 2008 and 2012, accused the authority of “dithering”.
He said: “All they have to do is call a meeting, vote it through, then job done. The consultation is finished, the council can call the cabinet meeting whenever they like.
“They could have called the meeting already. The issue is stuck in the system, that’s all it means. Unblock the system and get it done.”
The council says this is not possible as the process for considering the conservation area proposal is not yet complete.
Some 20,000 people have signed a petition to save Gwdihw and the other businesses. The businesses were told in December that their leases will end on January 31 and they will have to vacate the premises.
If Guildford Crescent is made a conservation area, it would give the city’s planning department greater powers over demolition, minor alterations and the protection of trees.
Currently, as the buildings are not yet part of a conservation area, demolishing them is be a “permitted development” under planning law.
That means when an application is made, “the council purely assesses the method of demolition and any proposed restoration of the site, not whether the buildings should be demolished or not,” the authority says.
The application to demolish Guildford Crescent, leaving only the Masonic Hall, was formally received on December 10.
Most planning applications have to be decided within eight weeks, meaning Cardiff council would have to make a decision on the application by February 4 to avoid the risk of an appeal.
This can be extended to 16 weeks if the council decides they require an Environmental Impact Assessment, according to Planning Portal Wales.
But Cardiff council has decided an Environmental Impact Assessment is not required for the application.
But that date can be extended if the council agrees this in writing with the applicant.
Asked what position the council would be in legally if the conserva- tion area was voted through in an emergency meeting, Cllr McEvoy said: “The council would be carrying out its democratic mandate. There’s no reason to wait any longer.”
The next cabinet meeting is currently scheduled for January 24.
“It’s going to be absolutely staggering if it’s not on the agenda,” Cllr McEvoy added.
Council officers have asked the applicant to carry out a survey to establish the potential presence of bats on the site. The council says the survey would not cause any delays but if evidence is found that bats exist at the properties “that is a different matter”.