Council approves controversial sewage pumping station plans

A controversial plan to build a sewage pumping station has been approved despite a last ditch attempt to delay a decision.

Cardiff Council’s planning committee today approved plans to build a sewage pumping station at the Ty Mawr Road entrance of Hailey Park in Llandaff North.

The sewage pumping station will allow excess sewage from Plasdwr to be transported to Cardiff Wastewater Treatment Works via an existing sewage system.

A final effort was made from Llandaff North Residents Association, backed by their ward members, Senedd members and the local MP, to defer the decision due to the addition of new documentation to the application in recent weeks.

Those opposed to the application argued that members of the public should be afforded more time to digest the information in these new documents.

The documents include an amended report and a screening opinion, which assesses the need for an environmental impact assessment (EIA). A decision on the sewage pumping station was deferred in April this year in order for a site visit to take place.

Lack of transparency

Cardiff Council ward member for Llandaff North, Cllr Jennifer Burke-Davies, said in the committee meeting that there was a feeling in the community that “trust has been broken and that there is a lack of transparency” in relation to the planning process behind the sewage development.

She also said that there was still a lack of clarity over why the site at Hailey Park had been designated for the pumping station.

The developer, Welsh Water, has attempted to allay concerns over potential disruption, unpleasant odors and visual impact in relation to the development of the sewage pumping station. It said the development would cause minimal noise and disruption. Welsh Water will also landscape the area to reduce the visual impact of the station.

Cllr Steve Hunt said: “Ultimately, if we have professionals that tell us that these are issues that can be addressed… there is very little we can do.

“The concern I have got is about the loss of open space and the placing of this facility in the middle of a park.”

He said that it was “taking away” from the community. He acknowledged that the 500 square meter green space that would be utilised was “not the most attractive”.

Amenity space

However, he added: “It is the community’s overgrown area… it is the community’s amenity space.”

Council officer, Steve Ball, said there was enough information for a decision to be made on the day. He said: “It is necessary to come to a decision. It has been with us for a long time.”

The development of Plasdwr in the north east of Cardiff means that more sewage will need to be transported to an existing waste water treatment works.

Cog Moors Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) does not have the capacity to take on all the sewage from Plasdwr, so part of it will need to be transported to Cardiff WwTW in the south east of the city.

The sewage pumping station, proposed for land near the Ty Mawr Road entrance to Hailey Park, will allow sewage from Plasdwr to be pumped up to an existing sewage system and transported to Cardiff WwTW.