New plans sent in for city suburb
DETAILED new plans have been submitted for a new suburb of 2,500 homes in Cardiff, despite several concerns and objections.
Developers are seeking permission for new homes to be built over a 15-year period on green land to the east of Lisvane in north Cardiff as part of a huge expansion of the city.
A wide range of detailed revised plans and documents were submitted to the council on November 1.
Taylor Wimpey’s new documents change the boundaries of their new development and address traffic issues raised by Cardiff council. The developer is seeking outline planning permission before it puts in a further, more detailed planning application to Cardiff council, which, if approved, will allow them to begin work.
A new two-form-entry primary school and land for a new secondary school are also being promised as part of the plans, along with shops, food and drink outlets, offices and public open space including parks and gardens.
But residents, a politician and councillors previously called for the application to be refused – citing the increase in traffic and lack of provision for congestion as a major concern.
Details of the planning application are still live on Cardiff council’s website and available for the public to view and comment on.
According to the application documents, it would take 15 years for the development to be built, with construction taking place over the course of seven phases. It has been proposed that the first phase would begin in 2022, lasting three years, and work is expected to be complete by 2037.
Taylor Wimpey applied to Cardiff council for outline planning permission in 2019, with the intention to start in 2020 – however, this was first delayed until 2021, and further delayed until next year.
If the full plans are approved, the new suburb would be built next to the separate Churchlands development by Redrow Homes of up to 1,000 new houses, forming part of Cardiff council’s masterplan for 4,500 new homes on farmland between Lisvane and Pontprennau.
Affordable housing will be provided on the 330-hectare development. Taylor Wimpey says it will negotiate with Cardiff council over how many of the 2,500 homes will be affordable. The council’s policy is to seek up to 30% affordable housing on greenfield sites.
Key community features of the proposed development include a ‘district centre,’ which the developer says is likely to comprise shops, food and drink outlets, a primary care facility, a community leisure centre and a library, among other facilities.
An area offering new business space including offices, shops and food and drink outlets could also be built adjacent to Cardiff Gate Business Park.
Meanwhile, a primary school is projected to be built in the fourth phase (2025-2029), while the secondary school site would be built in the fifth phase (2028-2035).
The new development would be accessed from Lisvane Road, Ty Draw Road, and a re-alignment of Heol Glandulais in Pontprennau, with the district centre and two schools at the heart of the new suburb. A main road would run through the new development from east to west, providing a thoroughfare for buses.
Cycle lanes are proposed along the main roads of the development.
But since the plans were revealed two years ago, 12 concerns, 38 objection comments and 24 comments have been put forward, with many worried about the impact on traffic.
In November 2019, Anna McMorrin, MP for Cardiff North, expressed her concern “regarding a lack of any substantial road system and the fear of gridlock and congestion”.
Councillors Dianne Rees and Joel Williams for Pontprennau and Old St Mellons also called for the application to be refused in November 2019 because of the expected hike in traffic.