Council acts to block demolition of historic pub

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Proposals to demolish a historic Cardiff pub look to have been thwarted following intervention by the council.

The local authority announced that it has served a direction, called a Article 4 Direction, on the owners of The Rompney Castle pub in Rumney which will prevent the building from being demolished without planning permission.

Cardiff Civic Society and local councillors called on the council to issue the direction after a developer notified the local authority of its intention to demolish the pub in July.

Under current planning rules a property owner does not require permission to demolish a property they own, just permission from the council on an agreed method of demolition.

Important

Chair of Cardiff Civic Society, Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, welcomed the news.

She said: “The strength of opinion within the community, and from CAMRA, highlights how important this pub is, and how its continued existence means so much to all concerned.

“It has been a landmark in the community since the 1870s and provides an important focal point in the area.

“It is crucial now that a viable plan is formulated to secure its future and ensure that it is safe from developers for the long-term.”

The Rompney Castle, located on Wentloog Road, has been around since the 1870s.

Cardiff Council refused a planning application last year which proposed to demolish the pub and redevelop the site with 26 apartments.

Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for strategic planning and transport, Cllr Dan De’Ath, said: “The Rompney Castle is a building, which although not listed by Cadw, absolutely deserves a measure of protection, which is what we are trying to achieve by this action.

“We will now engage with the owner/developer to try to find a sustainable future for this local treasure.

“This month we will also bring a report to Cabinet which will see us revisit our local list of buildings of historic interest across the city.

“This local list doesn’t have anything like the same powers as buildings which are listed by Cadw, but it will help us work with developers to try to protect and celebrate local buildings such as pubs, community spaces and music venues – particularly those rich in the city’s working-class history.”