Stop Cardiff Council Lib Dems/Plaid building a a new vehicular and pedestrian bridge and road for articulated lorries into Bute Park, Cardiff listed on the Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales as grade I.
Showing posts with label fib dems cardiff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fib dems cardiff. Show all posts
Excellent article here from Mark Groves..on the bute park development: http://bit.ly/cLSO60
As the person who started this campaign I am very sad that all representations, petitions, Failed! The Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru railroaded this through and voted on it several times with the support of the Heritage Lottery fund and was given a blessing from CADW! I was nearly knocked down by Cllr McEvoy who used the terrorism act to seal off the city hall from Bute Park protesters! I was thrown out of the council public gallery as they defended the ROAD! A monument to stupidity - a road for articulated lorries. and they continue to concrete over the park.....lets hope they suffer for it at the next election... Any one know the opening date...? so we can be there and continue to oppose articulated lorries entering the park They are digging in coppers field now making turning circles for lorries!!..
Facebook group here.. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10999506173&ref=ts
The development of Bute Park, including the new bridge, have proved controversial
With the upcoming news about Bute Park and it’s proposed destructive development, I have to say I genuinely shed a tear and felt great sadness.
It’s very hard to put into words exactly what I feel without making a post that is completely family ‘unfriendly’ but I think you get the idea of just how rotten I feel inside.
When I started my photography hobby Bute Park was the first place I visited, in fact I actually took one of my favourite shots of all time there, Stoned (left). I’ve even been featured in Schmap with one of my pictures of the Iconic Queens tower from the Castle Grounds / Bute Park.
Unfortunately, I get the feeling that the famous city grounds will look nothing like even a shadow of it’s former self with the proposed road going through it. Again, I appreciate the need for access, but please, why do we insist on destroying things like this?
It’s long been talked about a tram system similar to the one in Sheffield to aid in reducing traffic congestion (it would also be brilliant in replacing certain bus routes that are forever plagued by traffic) so why has this never materialised? for those of you old enough to remember, Castle Street and St Mary’s Street had something similar in the past, Trolley busses. You can see a picture of them here (Taken by Photo by D.J. Norton ) so it’s not inconceivable either!
It does of course bring up the question, what are the people who are doing this smoking?
Yes there is a need for better transport. Yes I know, it’ll ease the frankly awful congestion around the city centre but there is another way!
In fact there are several other ways, including trams, more busses, better around city parking, more park and ride services for commuters etc.
The list goes on! As far as I am aware however, Cardiff is doing everything it can to prevent people from coming into the town centre, i.e. the ridiculously sized and badly built ’speed hump’ or, ‘Vehicular Traffic Calming Measure’ to use it’s proper name, at the end of Queen Street. Whoever came up with the design alone for that really needs to be made to drive over it six times a day, I regularly see cars hit that thing and then bottom out going up and down it, I’ve quite frequently seen sparks from exhausts slamming into it (even at low speeds) and more than enough bumpers being scraped along the bottom of it (if you look closely on a monday morning you can actually see scars on the hump itself, and bits of plastic from sump guards and bumpers along the kerbside where they have inevitably been ripped off.
Perhaps the new road is actually a diversion around the speed hump, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Government or Council (whoever it is) had decided that instead of shaving off an inch from the top of the gargantuan asphalt lump they would just build a road around it.
No, my pain is much deeper than that, for me and many others. Words cannot really express how I feel.
BUTE Park has retained its Green Flag status despite the threat of new road access hanging over the Grade I listed parklands, it was revealed today.
Judges have given the city centre parklands the award alongside three other Cardiff parks, Roath Park, Victoria Park and Grange Gardens.
In order to achieve Green Flag status the judges needed to be satisfied that all the parks met key criteria for access, safety, conservation, heritage, community involvement and overall management.
Judges visited all the parks and spoke to both staff and public before reaching their decisions.
Councillor Nigel Howells, executive member leisure, said: “I am delighted that four Cardiff parks have been awarded Green Flags.
“I think the quality of green spaces in this city is unrivalled and this award underlines the hard work Cardiff council has undertaken in preserving and maintaining our parks.
“With Bute Park in particular I am especially delighted as the judges were given details about our improved access plans as well as the £5.6m restoration project, supported by a £3.1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, to restore, enhance and help people learn about the many historic features in the park.”
The proposed work in Bute Park has provoked a campaign by users of the park who have argued that a £1.4m lorry bridge and expanded roadways in the park further encroach on Victorian parklands that have been shrinking steadily for the last 50 years.
The Green Flag Award is the national standard for parks and green spaces in England and Wales.
Send you views on this award to the Green Flag Award:- paul.todd@keepbritaintidy.org, lorraine.scanlon@keepbritaintidy.org, tijen.onder@keepbritaintidy.org
To FIB DEM Cllr R Berman leader of Cardiff council
My dear Rodney
Perhaps you would like to answer some straight forward key questions for a change.
Re Bute Park £1.4 bridge and road for lorries ...
Why is there NO EIA on urban development of a sensitive area, nor a full sustainability assessment as in the Parks Strategy.
Why was Nigel Howellls permitted to intervene at the planning Cttee meeting?..
This intervention was contrary to your code of conduct with his conflicting interest!
looking forward to a swift reply
I shall be also writing to the Local government ombudsman to complain.
DUMMIES GUIDE TO GREEN POLICY for Cllrs Berman, Howells, and McEvoy
No articulated lorries in a LISTED PARK!
Dump the plastic bottles
Ban the use of water bottles in all municial buildings. Would be a a start and hopefully it will catch on to the rest of the country. Water bottles are really such a waste especially when you consider most of us have access to clean, fresh amazing tap water here in WALES.
Just buy an aluminum water bottle and re-use that throughout the day!
REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS FROM TRANSPORTDear Rodney
I am surprised that you feel it necessary to attack me.
Any council with modern and accurate awareness about carbon footprints would immediately see the need to reduce the number of huge articulated lorries INTO the city centre and a listed park!
A dummys guide to carbon reduction would tell you that road-building leads to large increases in traffic levels, locking us in to a carbon-intensive pattern of development and behavioural change is vital! And it would inform you that the solution is to move the nursery and take lorries out of the park and the city centre! Moving the problem and destroying the park in the process for £1.4 is not a solution!
The key challenge for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from transport in Wales is to reduce inappropriate and unnecessary car use and of course lorry use. Traffic in Cardiff is forecast to grow by 7% - 10% over the next 5 years. This is higher than the average for Great Britain. In Cardiff, air and car travel account for 95% of the City’s ecological impact and the average resident travels over 15 miles a day by car and cllr? (1) Nothing short of a huge change in how we travel is needed to halt current trends. It might therefore occur to you that using the front of the city Hall for Clllrs to have FREE parking is old fashioned, outdatedpractice yet you feel it is necessary to limit the citizens right to protest to facilitate parking for Cllrs – this is the equivalent of instigating parking outside BuckinghamPalace! Cllrs should set a good example of behavioural change! And you talk of reducing your carbon footprint whilst sipping water from your plastic bottle of water? What is the carbon footprint of that and what is wrong with welsh water from the tap and how much does it cost?
Equality impact assessment
I asked you and FIB DEMS Cardiff what disability equality impact assessment had been conducted in making the decision to build this bridge and road, as required under the DDA 2005.?
Please may we see a copy of the report on the disability impact assessment?
Will yopur consyultation with disabled people be lawful if the information about the design of the bridge and road are not accurate and are found to be downright misleading and wrong . I suggest a meeting with Cllr Berman, McEvoy and Howells with the disabled access group and myself and others to discuss the true dimensions and gradients of the bridge and road you propose to build. I know what I am talking about as I worked for the DRC as a policy officer. As a disabled person myself and the mother of a disabled boy who has epilepsy and is filled with horror at the prospect of sharing a road with articulated lorries.
The council has repeatedly neglected to inform the public that the access bridge is almost 30ft wide, What’s more, the bridge will be practically 200ft long from the point it enters the park on North Road to where it finishes.
“It may even be longer because of the gradient – one in six. With such a gradient the 40-ton lorries using it will not be able to do so safely, so it seems likely that the bridge will have to be extended at a less fierce gradient – which will involve eating up yet more green space.
A gradient of 1:12 is desirable where possible.
Lies and misinformation to the public
I have e-mails to Cllr Jon Aylwin over the early tree- felling, to which he and the Council never replied, which indicates unlawful planning behaviour.
Questions and lies
How exactly does Cllr Berman imagine an access bridge for articulated lorries that’s almost 30 feet wide, and raised on concrete pillars, and paths doubled in width for long sections to accommodate these giants, can possibly be disabled friendly or “enhance” a Grade I-listed park.
Coun Howells lies at the exhibition relating to council plans for Bute Park
The artist’s image of the proposed access bridge was misleading to say the least, and the council officer present was forced to admit that the image was “ephemeral”, and that in reality the bridge would be larger, higher and more visible.
The map published alongside Coun Nigel Howells’ piece in the Capital Times had been doctored to show the council’s proposed developments in a more favourable light.
Council Executive continue to repeat more spurious claims about public support for the proposals. Below I quote two independent and authoritative sources:
December 2007: CADW wrote, ‘This area of the park is at present tranquil woodland and lawn dotted with specimen trees. The dock feeder canal runs quietly through it, flanked by an unsurfaced path and wider tarmacked path/roadway. There are no modern intrusions and the nursery enclosure to the west is well screened from the area…. The introduction of a wide modern road and bridge into this unspoilt area would in our view be unsympathetic and highly visible.’
February 2008: Chief Strategic Planning and Environment officer Sean Hannaby wrote to Tom Morgan, the Council Corporate Director, ‘I have a copy of the Committee report that is due to go out tomorrow, recommending refusal for the bridge. I have considered the matter carefully and am satisfied that I have no credible alternative…. We have a legal duty to protect or enhance the character of the park and cannot use highway issues as a reason to set that aside.’
However the Council has already begun preparatory work on North Road in spite of the Council’s own planning condition insisting that no ground clearance or tree cutting should begin during the bird nesting season running till July 31st.
The last 70 years have seen massive incremental damage to the four parks. You can download here the BPA leaflet given to every councillor on Thursday. It shows the degree destruction and privatisation that has been allowed in that time and which has escalated over the last few years.
Acting on behalf of the scheme’s opponents, environmental lawyer Richard Buxton has written to the council warning it not to start work before the end of July.
One of the planning conditions for the scheme says work should not proceed during the nesting season, which lasts until July 31.
Cardiff council is disregarding its own planning conditions by starting work on the site. The noise and disruption caused by the contractors in their compound adjacent to the park will inevitably cause distress to nesting birds.
Unlawful felling prior to planning
The Conservation Area officer was not notified (as required even for urgent work) nor consulted on all the trees (>75mm width at 1m height) to be felled.
The inspection and felling recommendation was last Sept., then the
beech tree was inspected for bats in case CCW needed notifying.
All the trees on a 16 metre stretch of the boundary and their stumps were removed - a huge impact on the Conservation Area as well as the Park - one huge stump 500mm across is still visible evidence.
Was the Bridge decision at planning lawful?
In fact there may be grounds to challenge the planning permission on the basis of corruption with decision-making in planning being a quasi-legal process?
The Executive Member responsible for the ButePark scheme intervened in a major way during the planning committee hearing. Cllr Nigel Howells spoke from the position of ward councillor (“if Jayne Cowan can speak, so can I”), but spoke as Executive Member sponsoring the project without declaring his interest. He spoke fluently and at length on the genesis of the project and ambitions for it, and that the decision on a new access opposite Corbett Road had been made by the Council in 2007.
The protocol for receiving oral observations and representations from councillors says observations or representations must be confined to addressing material planning considerations.The Committee Chair did not stop Cllr Howells breaching this requirement.
As the Parks Dept where the applicant, Cllr Howells being Chair of Parks as well as the responsible Executive Member clearly had a prejudicial interest. Cllr Howells did not (as far as we heard) notify the Planning Committee and public of this.In cases of prejudicial interest, the Protocol says: Do Not participate or give the appearance of trying to participate in themaking of anydecision on the matter by the planning authority
His intervention of course breached this.And the open way in which he abused his Councillor position to air arguments for the scheme, in effect arguing for the applicant, breached the ‘key principle’
It is not enough to avoid actual impropriety. You should at all times avoid anyoccasion for suspicion and any appearance of improper conduct
Bute Park new access, Bridge and Roadways,planning application 07/02649/C
Assessors of the Planning application(from Highways Dept and Parks Dept) were not independent of the “applicant”; Paul Carter and?? presented cases at the Planning Meeting.We objected that assessments from the two departments are not professionally independent.The Planning Officers said they have no way of getting independent advice on highways options and traffic safety, but have to accept the options appraisal report under Paul Carter's name [Annex 2].
RE Prayers
I laughed rather than heckled. Perhaps you would provide us with the text of this bizarre ‘prayer’ which will explain the guffaw!
I am sure you are aware that the Town Hall watchdog organisation, the National Association of Local Councils, which is observed at many town halls, describes prayers as merely an "old custom" which might upset councillors and members of the public of other religions as saying Christian prayers before council meetings might infringe human rights and equality laws. I have been a councillor in the past and am very surprised that Cardiff continues with this very dated old custom!
But the National Association said the practice, which is observed at many town halls, was merely an "old custom" which might upset councillors and members of the public of other religions.
I got chucked out of the council meeting after having to sit there from 4.20 to 8.30 to have them deal with the motion which you threw out like a dictator and replaced it with a new one to suit you, despite standing orders to the contrary. The Constitution 14.6 states the new motion "must not negate the motion" the new motion was not an amendment as it DESTROYS the original motion.
I got thrown out as a Cllr in executive pleaded that a new bridge £1.4 million was necessary to avoid any accidentsin the future ...just move the risk ...I shouted 'take the lorries out of the park, stupid' and got thrown out of the meeting!
After I left the talking shop continued and ended with a challenge to Nigel Howells and everyone calling the LibDem sheep.
1.Cardiff’s Ecological Footprint (Cardiff Council, BRASS Research Centre, CardiffUniversity and WWF Cymru – September 2005)
Anne Greagsby
Rodneys email to me
Dear Anne,
As you know the scheme will cut down vehicle miles travelled within the park – and hence it will lead to a reduction in carbon emissions within the park. This is because once the new road access is in place the distance vehicles will need to travel within the park to get to and from the nursery will be significantly less. A significant proportion of the vehicular traffic which enters and leaves the park is doing so to access the nursery. Overall, the scheme will clearly lead to a reduction in vehicle miles travelled within the park.
I appreciate that in order to reduce carbon emissions to effectively tackle climate change, some difficult decisions will have to be taken and that there will be some people who will oppose these measures. We are perhaps straying into the sorts of arguments that often surround proposals for wind farms. Wind farms may alter the appearance of the surrounding environment but no-one would argue they don't contribute to tackling climate change. Whilst I appreciate your continued opposition to the new road access, the Council's administration takes the view that in this case cutting carbon emissions should take precedence.
As for your belief that the matter is not justified on the grounds of health and safety, you may be interested in the views of the Chief Executive of the Cardiff & the Vale Coalition of Disabled People, Charles Willie, who wrote the following e-mail to the Council earlier this week:
Having seen the recent ‘Dragons Eye’ programme on the proposed Bute Park developments, I thought it important as chair of the Access Focus Group to dispute much of what was said in that programme and from a disability access perspective offer our full and unequivocal support for the project. This support follows our most recent visit and tour to the park, and is therefore from a practical and evidenced based basis.
The two main contentions that we have are with regard to public consultation and health and safety
First with regard to consultation we are very concerned about the accusations surrounding the lack of public consultation and engagement around the project. Plans for and access to information has been in the public domain for sometime. We have been aware of the minutes of the Executive Business Meeting, 11 September 2007 that go in to great detail about the proposed plans and impacts. This has been supplemented by our own engagement with the project both with regard to the Access Focus Group and as with regard to the Cardiff and Vale Coalition of Disabled People there has been good contact and involvement with particularly John Green about the project. So the view that there has been no consultation is totally inaccurate
With regard to the vehicle access bridge, during our tour of the Park this was discussed at length and from those discussions it was clear that the new access point (from a disability access and safety perspective) at the top of park is to be welcomed as it would divert vehicles away from the pedestrian paths. The need for this became clear when as a group we encountered heavy plant vehicles which emphasised the danger that those particularly with sensory impairments could face.
Finally, can I express my sincere disappointed that you even heckled the Lord Mayor's chaplain during prayers at the start of yesterday's Council meeting. This is not something I have ever witnessed before and I know many people found it offensive.
EXECUTIVE BUSINESS MEETING: 11 SEPTEMBER 2007. CITY CENTRE STRATEGY 2007 - 2010. REPORT OF CORPORATE DIRECTOR ......Cardiff Castle / £3.1m for Bute Park... www.cardiff.gov.uk/ObjView.asp?Object_ID=9502...YYY=0 - Similar - More results from www.cardiff.gov.uk »
The heritage lottery fund is funding this so called 'restoration' of Bute Park! £3,123,000
On the 20 August 2007 the National Heritage Lottery wrote to the Council confirming that:- “the Heritage Lottery Fund view the position of a new bridge over the docks feeder to provide access into the park from North Road as an essential element of the Bute Park Restoration Project. HLF & cardiff Council Execut_E_07_09_11_A_rep_R-2.pdf
Cllr Howells Dirty tricks
The last 70 years have seen massive incremental damage to Bute Parks. You can download here the leaflet showing the degree destruction and privatisation that has been allowed in that time and which has escalated over the last few years.
Cllr Howells on the new road or as he calls it 'path' widening and lorry turning circle "full design has yet to be 'WORKED UP'!"
The MAP published alongside Coun Nigel Howells’ piece in the Capital Times had been DOCTORED to show the council’s proposed developments in a more favourable light.
Council officer admited that the artists image was “ephemeral”, and that in reality the bridge would be larger, higher and more visible.
Must read
ECONOMY & CULTURE SCRUTINY COMMITTEE: 18 JUNE 2009 nScrutiny report‘The Economic Role of Parks’
Cardiff Council incurred expenditure of £11,356,089 in respect of vehicle operating costs. more here
Prof Kevin Morgan, school of City and Regional Planning at Cardiff University, believes the planned roadways would desecrate one of the city’s greatest assets, a top-grade Park. Cllr N Howells rubbished criticisms of plans for Victorian parklands 10 Jan 2009
Gateshead Council introducing electric vehicles in council parks here a series of measures which cut Fuel bills cut by £100,000 a year Professor Chris Baines HLF This paper is very much about trees in towns as opposed to those in the countryside. It emphasises the multifunctional environmental
Have your say to Cardiff council
Nov 27,Paul Adams, Come on Cadw, why have you withdrawn your opposition to this scheme to allow articualated lorries to plough through a Grade ! historic park?! Nov 27,Richard James, Driving a road through a Grade I Historic Park? I would expect this from a feckless Council, but shame on CADW - grow a backbone!
Nov 25,Sabrina Cleevely, I strongly object to the building of this bridge. Bute park belongs to the people of Cardiff. This is not restoration but destruction of a very beautiful and peaceful part of the city. Denise Cooper, 'This would be a travisty if this went ahead, the park was given to the people of Cardiff for their enjoyment and not as a thoroughfare.'
Nov 23,Richard Darley, This development has no public support and that Heritage Lottery funding should be encouraging this destruction is outrageous.
Nov 19,Ute Meister, After every big event the grass is churned up and the whole place looks ugly for ages. Once the access road is built, the park will be used even more often for big events and nothing will be able to recover anymore.
Hannah Bevan-Mohaffel, 'This park is listed with CADW on the Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales and given a Grade 1 listing. Inclusion on this register means that CADW promise 'not to let insensitive development harm the historic and visual character of historic parks and gardens'. Does the council or CADW or the Heritage Lottery Fund think Capability Brown and later Andrew Pettigrew (the original park designers) would ever have dreamt that their design would be destroyed by large roads, built to accommodate huge articulated lorries, polluting the atmosphere and taking away the peace and serenity the park was intended to provide for busy city dwellers??'
Andrew Moon, '1900 signitures for against the road in the park and 2 for it and it still goes through. Please do not sacrifice our quality of life, for money that will not improve the quality of life for the people of Cardiff as much as having an unspoilt park in the first place.'
Gafyn Jones, 'I cycle across Bute Park each morning and it's beautiful as it is. Hands off! '
Edward Gomez, 'I find it unbelievable that Cardiff Council have the new roads as such key part of their plans. What does that have to do with restoring Bute Park'
Margaret Pugh, 'IF THIS ROAD IS ALLOWED TO DEVELOP YOU WILL DESTROY THE VERY THING THAT MAKES CARDIFF UNIQUE AS A CITY. NEW YORK HAS CENTRAL PARK , CARDIFF HAS BUTE PARK. Do you think New York would allow lorries into Central Park?WE NEED TO PRESERVE OUR WONDERFUL HERITAGE.
J E Talbot-Jones, 'We should be looking to reduce the impact and scale of events held within Bute Park, not encouraging and accommodating them. Why must everything revolve around the needs of the internal combustion engine, which appears to have a limited future, rather than concentrating on the flora and fauna, and everyday low key/impact recreational aspects of the Park?
Michael Davies, 'Bute Park is a legacy to the people of Cardiff. Our elected representatives should be the guardians of this very special city centre park. It is a disgrace that both the Heritage Lottery Fund and Cardiff City Council are even contemplating this totally unnecessary development. Such a road can only lead to the fragmentation of the park and consequently increase the likelihood of further erosion by developers.'
Robert Gatheridge, 'Many trees have already been lost in anticipation of the planning applications approval. Sophia Gargens had a pavilion where events were held but now it's a car park. I would rather the council get rid of the car park and replace it with a space for events rather than build a road into Bute Park'
sarah fotheringham Cardiff, 'I don't believe it! We are crying out to keep our green spaces Green! Breathing spaces, garden projects, community open spaces, planting trees in streets that have non, and yet we are also ploughing up our green spaces...I don't believe it!! well not in my back yard'
J C Williams, 'These parks are unique to this city and were donated to the people of Cardiff - not just the council -and essential as big spaces for everyone to enjoy safely - with sport, walking, relaxing, and play space for children - the council should appreciate this and leave them as they are. There is no need for lorry access. The council trucks already drive around quite adequately on existing paths.'
'These parks were left for the recreational enjoyment of the citizens of Cardiff not for hosting large scale events which many of those citizens can't afford to attend. This is an area of outstanding beauty and should be preserved intact for future generations.'
Richard Staniforth Cardiff, 'We have fought to retain the Park Lands at the heart of Cardiff for the last twenty years with their gradual erosion starting with the development of the old HTV studio site to housing. The new stadium was only allowed on the basis that it would not have an expanded impact on the Park and surrounding areas. The state of the fields post Eisteddfod is a disgrace - an area that has been used for community football and cricket has been devastated by the hard core laid down in the still fenced off area. Is this sleight of hand to be the new car park for the Stadium to accomodate vehicles for the 2009 test match? The whole area - the lungs of the city and a recreational area for the people of Cardiff is being taken over by commercial interests. I strongly object to this development.'
Richard Jackson Dinas Powys, 'I strongly feel that the Council MUST NOT these plans their permission to go ahead. The alternatives that will cause far less negative impact on the park MUST be investigated and preferably implemented.'
Peter Adamson Abertyleri, 'Stop the commercial development of Bute Park. It should remain a peaceful haven.'
Susan Smith Cardiff, 'Building a road through Bute park would be appalling, it would destroy the quiet, peacefulness and beauty of one of the lovliest city centre parks in Europe'
Mark Suret Cardiff, 'I'm writing to ask you (or whoever is in charge of the project) to think again about plunging a major new vehicle access into Cardiff's green and pleasant parklands i.e. the bridge and roadway entering Bute Park off North Road at the end of Corbett Road and new carriageway and substantial road improvement within the Park. A number of mature trees and a large area of vegetation have already been cleared, even though the application has not yet been agreed by Planning Committee. It is justified as allowing articulated lorries easy access to areas of the park for commercial events and to permit large articulated lorries to deliver plants from Holland (and presumably equipment for Sky TV for use in broadcasts from the SWALEC stadium). Please understand how deep and wide the opposition to this commercialisation of precious parklands goes. Not only do these moves threaten the award winning arboretum and its champion trees, about which the council makes supportive statements from time to time. But people from across Cardiff and beyond love this space of relatively free land with its beautiful scope, and its trees. Its extent, and its relative safety from traffic, for children, the disabled, and all those wanting to walk, play, relax and cycle within it, are part of its enormous value. In terms of joined up politics it also makes a key contribution to the health and well-being of Cardiff people, as well as of those visiting Cardiff partly in order to enjoy unspoiled and extensive parks. All parties on Council pay lip service to green issues and conservation. Let's have an inspiring example of opposition to this environmentally destructive move.'
Sarah Hayton Cardiff, 'As a resident of Cardiff a user of Bute park and a cyclist I and very concerned about the new proposed plans. The reasons for such a vast change to the park and inevitable destruction to some areas, do not seem justified. Ease of access to council vehicles does not seem a good enough reason to risk the safety of cyclists and to so drastically effect the experience of an area of Cardiff which should be teasured not spoilt. I find it depressing that Cardiff Council should again be so glib as to make this proposal when they should instead be preserving a park which many other cities would be proud to have and to celebrate. I suspect that the road is planned primarily to facilitate the summer concerts and weekend events held in the summer months. These must bring in a lot of revenue to the council it seems that the council values the park as a money making venue rather than a space that has an intrinsic value of it's own that should be respected.'
Paul Charles Cardiff, 'As a regular user of the park, running & cycling I think it is disgraceful that could even think of this destruction!!!!'
Patricia McKenna Cardiff, 'The flora and fauna of the Park is threatened by these inroads. We should not be destroying parts of the park in order to welcome articulated lorries delivering Dutch (?) flowers for the nursery. The park is not a cultivated manicured theme park but a tranquil oasis with natural habitats that we should protect.'
Natalia Lawrence Cardiff, 'Please do not ruin the jewel in Cardiff's crown - keep Bute park cyclist-friendly, peaceful and green. Surely in this era of eco-awareness our local government should be doing everything possible to protect and retain green spaces and promote cycling? Building lorry access into the park that cuts across a cycle lane is most definitely not helping with this!'
Nigel Watt Cardiff, 'The design needs to be changed, so that lorries waiting to turn into North Road will not impede cyclists using the cycle path which runs alongside North Road's western boundary.'
Ceri-Anne Davies Cardiff, 'I am appalled that the council could even consider doing anything to such a beautiful park,not only do myself and my children do races (running )in the park but i have taken my children there often for picnics,its such a tranquil place to spend time in and forget all the stresses of life'
Tamsyn Mackay Penarth, 'Keep the green spaces in Cardiff!'
C.J. Morris Roath, Cardiff, 'The memorial park should be just that - a place of peace, memories and quiet reflection, not a throughfare for lorries or any vehicle other than bicycles'
Steve Owen cardiff, 'Once again Cardiff council has a hidden agenda,it's our jewel in the crown not their pot of gold'
Julia Charles Cardiff, 'Hand off OUR park'
Richard Self Cardiff, 'The park is a unique part of our childrens heritage. There can be no creep of tarmac over this green space.'
Anne Bate Cardiff, 'It is disgusting that the council is trying to get this proposal in via the back door! The public should have been informed. How can they justify felling our heritage for convenience and it must be said, monetary gain!!!'
Rachel Matthews Caerphilly, 'It is disgusting that the council are proposing to build a road through Bute Park. I believe that something is going seriously wrong with our priorities in this world and these proposals are yet another example of this. Yet again it seems that short-sightedness, monetary gain and downright lazy expediency is taking precedence over anything that is of long-term, intrinsic value in life. It is truly wrong and unnecessary to build a road through what is currently a place of outstanding beauty, peacefulness, clean air and an essential escape for relaxation in a busy, already over-polluted environment. To be able to escape from the city into such a peaceful place is essential for us all physically and mentally - what would happen if we let all our green spaces get eaten up over time and never halted the process - how could we explain to our children what they have lost due to such laziness, short-term greed and quick-fixes? Please THINK AGAIN and DONT build any roads in Bute Park.'
Pat Gregory Cardiff, 'The site of the proposed entrance and bridge for lorries to transport goods into the park is currently one of the most beautiful and tranquil areas of the park, with mature trees, a canal walk and grassland with decorative trees, and daffodils in the spring. At that point the park is effectively at its narrowest, due to the walled nursery area. If this road access goes ahead it will effectively cut the park in two, as on the other side of the nursery there are only a few metres between the nursery and the river.'
Joek Roex Cardiff, 'There are other ways in which Bute Park can stay animal, plant, and human friendly than through continuing commercial development. Cardiff should be proud of a park like Bute Park with its innumerable and invaluable champion trees. The extensive use by pedestrians and cyclists show that a continued conservation effort would pay off in keeping the park accessible and safe.
Mark Palser CARDIFF, 'Save our parks - Bute Park is an oasis of calm - I am fully against these proposals!!'
Hilary Hillhouse Kingston, 'It would be a tragedy to put a road through Bute Park.'
David McDonald Cardiff, 'They only withdrew the plans becuase of the election. Leave our parks alone.'
Peter Regan Cardiff, 'I object to any building or upgrading in Bute Park.'
Planning Policy Wales
PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION FOR PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT INFORMATION FOR
Woodwatch Welsh Planning System Planning Policy Wales (PPW) - guidance on the preparation and content of development plans and advice on development control decisions and appeals - provides overarching principles of planning in the country. The policies provided in the guidance should be reflected in local development plans.
It also states: 'local planning authorities should seek to protect trees, groups of trees and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value or contribute to the character or amenity of a particular locality.' (PPW para. 5.2.8).
In addition to Planning Policy Wales, there is a Technical Guidance Note, TAN 5, which gives local authorities further guidance on Nature Conservation and Planning and is available from the Welsh Assembly.
‘Too many events which cause too much litter and noise. Too many fast food outlets when events are on.’
An assessment of the use of Cooper’s Fields....This has a detrimental effect upon the park in the long term, because the wear and tear on the infrastructure caused by frequent heavy use from events has to be met from within existing resources, even if reinstatement costs are provided....
Full Documents for Parks and Green Spaces Strategy
Please find below the full documents for the Parks and Green Spaces Strategy:
On the 20 August 2007 the National Heritage Lottery wrote to the Council confirming that:-“the Heritage Lottery Fund view the position of a new bridge over the docks feeder to provide access into the park from North Road as an essential element of the Bute Park Restoration Project.. 2008. The new bridge, if built if completed this financial year, would greatly support future major events in the Park, the first of these being the RHS Show 2008 and the National Eisteddfod RECOMMENDATIONS The Executive is requested to recommend to Council that the provision of a new vehicular and pedestrian access bridge off North Road at a cost of £1.40 million be included in the revised 2007/08 capital programme of the Council.
Making a complaint Heritage Lottery Fund All Lottery Distributors follow the same procedure for the handling of complaints. This new process is explained in our ‘Making a Complaint' leaflet. To download the leaflet click on the following links: English 95 KB | Welsh 100 KB email enquire@hlf.org.uk
The Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama has been granted planning permission for its £22.5 million development to build a new concert hall, theatre, drama rehearsal spaces and exhibition gallery to complement and enhance its existing high-quality performance facilities.
When I started my photography hobby Bute Park was the first place I visited, in fact I actually took one of my favourite shots of all time there, Stoned (left). I’ve even been featured in Schmap with one of my pictures of the Iconic Queens tower from the Castle Grounds / Bute Park.
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