Cardiff Civic Society objects to Hendre Lakes development
Coastal marshland in Wales, of a similar kind to that at Hendre Lakes
Cardiff Civic Society submission to Planning Inspector on CAS-02298-X2Q2Q2
CCS objects to Cardiff planning application 21/00076/MJR for the Hendre Lakes development.
We fully support the objections to the damage this application would cause to the SSSI and other natural assets. The proposals do not explain how the requirement under PPW11 for biodiversity net benefit would be achieved. Objections on these grounds have been well made by Friends of the Gwent Levels and others, and do not need to be repeated here.
We support additional train stations between Cardiff and Newport, although the location for Cardiff Parkway has been chosen to support the business park rather than convenience for residents of eastern Cardiff. The application claims this development will support a modal shift towards public and active transport, but its own Transport Assessment admits that two- thirds of workers would come by car. It will probably be more.
We are not convinced of the economic case for a business park of this scale at this location, which we believe will be detrimental to both Cardiff and Newport city centres. The proposal should be rethought given the change in working patterns triggered by the covid pandemic.
Technology now makes working from home a practical options for most office workers. Many employees prefer to do so, at least part of the time, and most employers have acknowledged that choice and are seeking to facilitate it. Welsh Government has recognised the merits of working from or close to home and has set a 30% target for this. Cardiff Council has adopted its own hybrid working strategy.
It has long been assumed Cardiff needs more office space, but this shift is reducing demand. Cardiff Council has itself released one building and is further reviewing its requirements. So are other employers, such as MotoNovo Finance, currently employing 800 people at One Capital Square but now looking for smaller accommodation. There are many other examples. On 26 March, RightMove showed 349 commercial properties to let in Cardiff.
There are major office developments underway in the city centre, such as Central Quay, and more are planned. In Cardiff Bay, sites granted permission years ago are still undeveloped. The proposed business park could jeopardise the success of new central offices, or make other buildings redundant.
The benefits of agglomeration for business productivity are best achieved by a concentration of offices in the Central and Bay Business Areas. Empty offices will not help anyone. Cardiff Council’s City Centre Recovery Plan recognises the importance of office worker spending for retail and leisure businesses. Many are struggling, and some have failed leaving empty units.
Welsh Government’s Town Centre First principle, embedded in Future Wales, puts town and citycentresitesfirstforalldecisionsonthelocationofworkplacesandservices. Despiteits proposed location next to the new Cardiff Parkway station, Hendre Lakes would be an out-of- town business park damaging the vitality of Cardiff and Newport city centres.
The case for new rail stations between Cardiff and Newport does not depend on this large development. Welsh Government has declared a nature emergency, and the environmental disadvantages of building on an SSSI are well known. Since this proposal was originally made, economic conditions and working practices have changed. So should these plans.