Environmental groups urge Minister to reject 'station in wrong place' scheme

Martin Shipton

Four environmental groups have sent an open letter to a Cabinet Minister urging her to reject plans that would see a controversial business park promoted by former First Minister Vaughan Gething built in the east of Cardiff.

Cardiff Civic Society, Friends of the Earth Cardiff, Friends of Gwent Levels and the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales have written to Rebecca Evans, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, asking her to turn down the Hendre Lakes business park planning application, which would also entail building a train station called Cardiff Parkway in what the groups consider to be the wrong location.

Those backing the scheme, including Mr Gething, have made questionable claims that it would create 6,000 jobs.

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Nature

In their letter to Ms Evans, the groups state: “We wish to reiterate why, as Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, you should reject the called-in Hendre Lakes business park planning application.

“Human life depends on nature. The State of Nature Wales 2023 report estimates Welsh wildlife has decreased by 20% since 1994, while one in six Welsh species is threatened with extinction. The Environment Act (Wales) 2016 places a duty on public authorities to seek to maintain and enhance biodiversity. The Senedd declared a nature emergency in 2021.

“Habitat loss is the greatest threat to biodiversity. Future Wales [the Welsh Government’s document that sets out planning policy and priorities until 2040] identifies the Gwent Levels as a National Natural Resource. It is an ancient landscape, rich in culture and important for biodiversity, recreation, flood alleviation, carbon storage and food production. Planning Policy Wales 12 recognises the value of Sites of Special Scientific Interest, such as that on which this business park is proposed. It sets a principled presumption against development on a SSSI that is not necessary for its management. This principle must be upheld.

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Office demand

The letter continues: “Cardiff’s Local Development Plan (LDP) allocates this land for employment, but there have been many changes since 2016 in the economy, laws and policy. Office demand has declined since 2019, and changed work patterns make it unlikely to return in full. The Employment Land Study for the new LDP concluded Cardiff’s existing supply of office and R&D floorspace more than sufficed for core requirements. The promise of 6,000 new jobs is not credible.

"The plans show most office space would not be in campus style buildings, as implied by the LDP, but in towers that would compete with city centres, which Future Wales Town Centre First policy seeks to protect.

"Cardiff and Newport centres both have empty office blocks, including high-grade spaces. Planning applications have been submitted to convert some of these to residential use. A large out-of-town business park would displace jobs and damage the health and vibrancy of both cities. Towers are inappropriate in semi-rural settings.

“Cardiff needs an eastern Metro station, but this location is far from where most local people live and is poorly served by cycle or bus routes. The commercial case for an expensive four-platform mainline station handling direct trains to and from London is weak. GWR has said it would not use this. Unsurprisingly, the developer now wants a public subsidy.

“Close to the M4, most travel to or from Hendre Lakes would be by car, as the developer’s own analysis shows, compared with only half of commuter travel into central Cardiff. This site would discourage a modal shift and add congestion to local roads. Park-and-Train could be provided through additional parking spaces at the new Newport West station.

“The world has changed since this business park was first proposed over a decade ago. It no longer delivers the Welsh Government’s policies or goals and should be rejected.”