RMLDGroup – Information Page

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Here is more information on each of the bullet points. Please let us know (rmldgroup@radyr.org.uk) if you can add any more information on any topic.

The 2021 Census demonstrates that there is no need for further land to be allocated for development in the Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP). This applies across Cardiff
Developers and land owners are pressing Cardiff to allow further development land to be allocated in NW Cardiff (notably Goitre Fawr, between Pantawel Lane/Golf Club and Llantrisant Road/Rhydlafar – 1000 houses, and Plasdŵr Uchaf, opposite Rhydlafar to west of Crofft-y-Genau Road – 3000 houses) even before the existing Plasdŵr development (7000 houses) is half completed. No extra development should be allowed until Plasdŵr is fully completed and the promised infrastructure is put in place. At the current rate of build, that would put the need for additional land beyond the 2036 RLDP end date.
The RLDP should take account of the Cardiff Capital Region (see cardiffcapitalregion.wales/about-ccr/). The electrification of the Valley Lines under the Metro scheme will open up a much wider area for potential development – and community regeneration – without the need to build on virgin Greenfield spaces.
Building on Greenfield spaces is contrary to both Cardiff’s ‘stronger, fairer, greener’ policyand the ‘One Planet Cardiff’ policy. Every effort should be made to avoid destroying virgin Greenfield sites. Once gone, they can never be recovered.
Some of the suggested sites in NW Cardiff are rich in biodiversity. Specifically, there is a ‘Site of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSI) in place on the proposed site for Plasdŵr Uchaf, and four Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC). Two of the SINCs are Nant Dowlais and Nant Rhydlafer. At present both streams are a clean water supply for the SSSI. Protected species in and around this area include Horseshoe Bats, Barn owls and Great Crested Newts. There are also several SINCs within Goitre Fawr, including ponds and woodland.
The current development of Plasdŵr has already exposed problems with developing the area. These include flooding issues (notably in St Fagans) and sewage disposal. There is now significant disruption in attempting to retrofit solutions to these problems, which should have been foreseen by the planners when considering the area for such extensive development. Adding further development in the same area will simply worsen the problems.
There is already a significant problem with the road infrastructure. All the development – the existing Plasdŵr and the proposed extensions – must be served by the existing road network. The Llantrisant Road is constrained by the bottleneck in Llandaff and current proposals to safeguard that area by using traffic lights to stack traffic back up beyond the road into Parc Radyr is, frankly, irresponsible. There is no foreseeable prospect of implementing the branch of the Metro that would run from Fairwater to Ponyclun, and no plan to allow cars to access the M4 from the Llantrisant Road at Junction 33. Plasdwr will cause significant traffic chaos in NW Cardiff. To add yet further development to this will make the situation untenable.
Much of the current development is being built close to the road and the impact on pollution of a substantial increase in traffic is likely to be very great. It is amazing that the original traffic analysis for Plasdŵr did not flag up this issue, but adding yet more houses in this area will worsen the situation considerably.
What sort of City do you want to live in? Isn’t it time we had a debate about the effects of constant growth? Continually providing for extra growth is like someone who eats too much and just keeps buying bigger pants and a longer belt.

Additionally, we have been getting data and feedback from a number of sources. Have a look through any or all of the following articles when considering what and when to write to the various representatives.

If you have any comments or other material you can add to this list, please contact rmldgroup@radyr.org.uk.

Where are the RLDP ‘Candidate sites’ in North West Cardiff?

We prepared this handout giving the facts.

Does Cardiff need to identify more land for development by 2036?

We prepared this News Release in July 2022

What would be the impact of more traffic on the Llantrisant Road

A technical article on air pollution

The British Medical Journal on air pollution

Environmental Issues

Disquiet over the way sewage problems are being solved

General Matters

Cardiff Civic Society’s image for the future of our City