Councillors and residents in Caerau have voiced their concerns about a proposal to restore the former Ely Brickworks by infilling disused soil. Neal Soil Suppliers Ltd have launched a pre-planning application consultation on plans to restore a section of the former Ely Brickworks site adjacent to the A4232, which is accessed from Cwrt-Yr-Ala Road.
A planning statement on behalf of Neal Soil Suppliers Limited, for the restoration of the former Ely Brickworks, states the proposal seeks to "remediate an area of the ground otherwise leftunrestored and unused" following the closure of the Ely Brickworks in the 1960s. It proposes to restore part of the site by "infilling disused former mineral workings to reprofile the hillside before landscaping the site".
Within the proposal, it states that residential street Cwrt-Yr-Ala Road would be used by the company's HGVs to transport materials to and from the site. This has caused objection from those who live on the street, including Dianne Coombes who has lived at her address for 64 years. Dianne said: "we don't want them coming up and down this road because it is not big enough and it will not be safe for the children who play along the street."
Read more: Plans to expand school at expense of historic velodrome take major step foward
As well as Dianne, other members of her neighbourhood have expressed their distain for the proposal and many say they want to start a petition to ensure Neal Soil Suppliers are not granted planning permission by the Vale of Glamorgan Council. With the company expecting four HGVs to and from the site per hour with a maximum of twelve HGV journeys per day, according to planning documents, resident Bob Tennent told WalesOnline that "residents are very concerned with the amount of extra, large dangerous and dirty vehicles using these roads".
Cardiff councillor Peter Bradbury and councillor Elaine Simmons of the Caerau ward have both expressed their concern for the plans and have encouraged their constituents to oppose the pre-application. Councillor Bradbury said "The proposal itself is commercially driven. We do not believe it will help our constituents, in fact it will lay the burden solely on them and the area they live in. There is no consideration for them the 1000s of residents nearby."
Planning permission was granted in 2016 by Vale of Glamorgan Council for the venture however no work had taken place, and permission expired. In 2015, when the plans were first introduced, residents and Cardiff council members shared their opposition. Cllr Bradbury said: "We (Cllr Bradbury and Cllr Simmons) object in general to this application and others that have preceded this one. As Cardiff Council stated in their objection letter of the 21stJanuary 2016 the application would “unacceptably detract from the amenities and the environment of residents in the vicinity and would represent an unacceptable risk in terms of health and safety in the given context." You can read more abour previous objections here.
Planning application drawing reports produced by Neal Soil Suppliers in 2022 state: "The Applicant is committed to implementing a regime for cleaning and dampening for every vehicle leaving the proposed development site."
A construction traffic management report adds: "The developer is aware that the negligible increase in HGVs resulting from the temporary life of the restoration operation along Cwrt-Yr-Ala Road, may be considered by local residents’ as a temporary nuisance.
"The developer is committed to addressing this issue and is willing for the time of deliveries by HGVs to be limited between 0900 and 1500 hours, Monday to Friday; and by also limiting thenumber of HGV deliveries to the site to a maximum of 12 per day. This is expected to be conditioned as part of the planning application."
To get Cardiff stories straight to your inbox, subscribe to our daily newsletter here.
Read more:
- Huge new housing development takes forward step and plans revealed for special needs school - The latest Cardiff planning round up
Wales' public sector rich list 2023: The best paid officials in the nation
The shocking barriers that disabled people face every day in our towns and cities
A man kept valuable classic cars buried under undergrowth in gardens
Cardiff Council to be taken to court over plans for a sewage pumping station in Hailey Park
