Gap is the biggest ever faced’ – leader ‘fairly inevitable’
council tax premiums that the council can levy on empty homes and on second homes.
“As part of the budget-setting process we will be looking to see whether now is the time to increase those premiums or, in the case of second homes, introduce those premiums.”
When asked for his thoughts on Cardiff’s housing crisis more generally, the leader added: “I think there is a disconnect between people agreeing in principle that we need more housing and then agreement on specifics when it comes to building more housing.
“I would be deaf if I wasn’t aware that there are people in parts of the city who are raising objections to building on greenfield even though that greenfield helps to deliver 30% of affordable housing.
“There has also been plenty of objection to building residential towers in the city centre even though that is largely building on brownfield, high-density, developments.
“The same voices in general are saying there is a housing crisis. I guess sitting here as a decisionmaker in effect it is quite frustrating when you see what needs to be done – we need to build more housing of every type and every tenure but there are then local concerns and biases that then come into play to try and slow that process down.”
Another issue that the council sometimes has on its hands is housing developers making attempts to back out of section 106 contributions.
These are financial offerings that developers make towards social housing or other amenities and infrastructure that a community needs when undertaking a new project.
Cllr Thomas called the issue a “source of frustration”, adding: “On a brownfield site, as a matter of policy that we have set, we will try and achieve 20% social housing contribution. transport-orientated
“There is a particular process that the developer can go through to demonstrate whether that is viable or not. That is an independent process with a district valuer – nothing to do with the council – takes a view and then submits that view to the planning committee who if they don’t follow that advice chances are they will have an appeal on their hands.
“It is frustrating from my perspective because we want that contribution towards affordable housing because of the need.
“We want the contribution towards transport contributions or openspace contributions to enhance the city. What you then have to balance though is if a development is made unviable and then doesn’t go ahead what do you end up with?
“You end up with no development and no improvement in your housing supply at all.”
Campaigners across the city have questioned the current council administration’s pledge to look after green spaces in recent years due to the approval of a number of developments, including plans for the new Velindre Cancer Centre in Whitchurch, which could mean the loss of Northern Meadows, as well the approved expansion of Cathays High, which could lead to the loss of Maindy Park, and Welsh Water’s plans for a sewage pumping station on land at Hailey Park, which residents fear could mark the slow chipping away of their local green space.
The Stronger, Fairer, Greener strategy – a five-year plan outlining how the current administration wants to govern the city – says the council’s One Planet Cardiff programme “takes a lead on responding on the climate emergency” and “celebrates and nurtures biodiversity”.
When asked how the council can balance championing the protection of green space with allowing the loss of it at places like Hailey Park Cllr Thomas said: “Welsh Water have statutory powers to access and put that pumping in.
“The rationale for issuing the lease is that it gives the council marginally stronger powers to manage the impact on that park and mitigate against disruption but you go through the planning reports [and] the percentage of land that is actually being built on is something like 0.2% of the park.
“It is at the margins and Welsh Water would argue that what they are doing is mitigating against the risk of sewage discharge into the river. I think we can all support those principles but it is for Welsh Water ultimately to decide what is the most appropriate place for them to put that infrastructure in.”
Residents campaigning against the plans for a sewage pumping station are seeking a judicial review of the council’s decision to approve the plans. Cllr Thomas added: “Welsh Water have statutory powers to access and put that pumping in.”
An independent committee was recently set up to make a decision on whether or not to make a recommendation to the council’s cabinet for the approval of land exchange involving Maindy Park.
If approved, the land exchange, which now only involves land at Caedelyn as a potential option, would pave the way for the already approved expansion of Cathays High.
The council decided to set up the independent committee after it realised that there was a conflict of interest with it being the planning and education authority.
Cllr Thomas was asked why it had taken so long for the Maindy Park Trust Committee to be set up.
He said: “As I said I think in response to a question in council on this it wasn’t immediately appreciated that there was a covenant on that land.
“It was searches by council lawyers that revealed that fact. I have said all along – we want to ensure that we take decisions in a manner that is legal.
“We took legal advice on the best way of ensuring that and that is where the advisory committee came about. In terms of timeframes – and again it is frustrating because it slows the process down and it impacts on the delivery of a new school which is what we are committed to doing and what we have a mandate frankly from the electorate to deliver – we have to go through a process that is legal so we will see what the advisory committee says.
“But, once the issue is identified, there wasn’t any delay in the process we went through to arrive at the decision to create that advisory committee.”
But what should happen to the planned school expansion if the committee decides not to recommend the land exchange, or indeed, if the Charity Commission opposes it?
To this question, Cllr Thomas said: “I haven’t got a clear answer to that yet and we are being very careful in terms of the use of public money to not spend money unnecessarily on plans that we may not need.
“I am clear in my mind that that school building needs replacing and that is to secure the education environment for over 1,000 children – many of whom are from some really challenging backgrounds.
“If there is no way of delivering a school as planned on that site we will reflect and see what other options are available to us. I fear that will come with more delay and more disruption to the pupils in that school and I think that feels pretty unfair but we will see where we are.”