Pontcanna residents oppose new flats

Residents in Pontcanna gathered to consider ways forward for their campaign against a planning application for new flats in the area, in which "common sense does not prevail" .

The campaigners, avidly opposed to the development of 14 flats on the junction of Kings Road and Severn Grove, believe the design of the building is not in keeping with the local conservation area guidelines, and would severely exacerbate parking problems in the already clogged up streets.

One resident, Ceri Jenkins, said the development of the flats would bring 'misery' for those living in the area. "It will put more misery on the residents here if it goes ahead. We already spending hours in traffic around the area and looking for parking spaces." Rose Pearson said:

"The planning officers won't listen to our worries about traffic jams. Common sense does not prevail. We need to find new evidence against it."

Heading up the campaign, resident Simon White chaired the meeting at St Catherine's Church Hall along with Riverside ward councillors Mohammed Islam and Gwenllian Lansdown. Councillor Jaswant Singh, who also sits on the planning committee, was also present in the audience, along with nearly 50 local residents.

White said:

"Most people in the area think 14 flats are too much and they are concerned with parking and congestion. Small flats rather than family housing is wrong for this area – they will not contribute to the community.

"Despite the planners thinking the developers have gone far enough to keep with guidelines, we don't. There have been welcome improvements to the application, but we have to comply with conservation guidelines so why should this be any different?"

Councillor Islam also added his support for the campaign. He said:

"We have all suffered here with the parking issues, and there would be an impact on living conditions for the future of residents and occupiers."

Peter Cox, chair of Cardiff Civic Society said:

"We want to preserve what's important in Cardiff from its past and for its future. This falls in both remits as it's in the conservation area and any building on this site should be respectful of this.

"It does not meet any of the housing policy – any new builds should be affordable housing or family housing."

Original objections to the application

The applicant Pine Warehouse Developments Ltd plans for the development at 100 Kings Road, known as Pontcanna Pine, of 14 flats over the current site of the Pontcanna flea market.

The apartments would consist of six two-beds and eight one-bed flats with 10 parking spaces, 20 cycle spaces and on-street parking expected. The building is two-and-a-half storey and four ground level flats will have doors fronting onto the street.

A revised application has been recommended to be granted by the planning committee by Cardiff Council's planning officers.

The Cathedral Road and Conway Road Conservation Group objected to the original proposal for the following reasons:

i. It does not follow the Severn Grove building line which creates an oppressive impact on Severn Grove
ii. The loss of the lime tree
iii. The scale and massing of the proposal
iv. The clash of materials and styles which do not respond to the local
character
v. Lack of front entrances, which are out of character and create a sense
of rejecting the local community
vi. A shortage of on-site parking, leading to overflow and illegal parking
causing harm to the character of the Conservation Area

An original planning application was sent back to the developer to be revised owing to the fact the development did not take into account the conservation guidelines. See the application on page 106 of this document.

Local campaigners plan for visible public opposition

Chair of the conservation group, Richard Evans, said at last night's meeting:

"The huge scale of the building is a problem and there's a risk to the lime tree. The planners haven't taken these things into account. The councillors are unlikely to go against the officers' decision unless there's huge public opposition so we need to make ourselves very visible."

Campaigners have already sent emails to all members of the planning committee raising their objections to the planning application, submitted a petition of 100 names, and are planning to attend the site visit at 3pm on Monday.

Resident Robert Chapman said:

"The development is against the raison d'etre for why this part of Cardiff was a designated conservation area. We're also very close to having some sort of fatality in this road because of the cars."

Another resident said:

"When Cardiff City or Wales are playing there are long traffic jams and the demand in Pontcanna is not for more flats."

Residents can attend the site visit at 3pm on Monday and the planning committee meeting where the application will be considered on 14 July – but cannot speak to planning committee members on both occasions. Any objections to the application can be written as late representations and emailed to the planning department at developmentcontrold@cardiff.gov.uk