Disused land eyed for temporary traveller site under new council plans

Ted Peskett, Local Democracy Reporter

A disused piece land that was once an airport and car parts factory could be used to temporarily re-locate families living in an overcrowded travellers’ site.

Cardiff Council published a report recently that expressed a “range of health and safety concerns” related to the Rover Way travellers’ site in Tremorfa.

In the report, the council said its plan is to relocate 33 families from the Rover Way site to a piece of land on the newly acquired Pengam Green site whilst work to improve the former is carried out.

The council said there are also future housing and commercial opportunities for Pengam Green, which it acquired from the Welsh Government in June 2025, but added that a masterplan can only be developed once people living on Rover Way are relocated.

Overcrowded

A draft Cardiff Council cabinet report states: “Conditions on the existing Rover Way Gypsy Traveller site… are very overcrowded leading to a range of health and safety concerns that require a significant reduction in the number of residents and investment and improvement works which would be challenging to address on an occupied site.

“The site has 21 pitches with amenity blocks and sufficient space for a mobile home and/or caravan.

“Currently, 33 families are resident on the site and concerns have been identified and logged on the Council’s risk register, particularly in relation to fire safety matters.

“Therefore, 33 families would need to relocate to a temporary provision in order to mitigate the identified current level of risk.”

It is not entirely clear from the council’s draft cabinet report how long families could be moved to Pengam Green for.

However, it states that the Welsh Government would welcome grant applications to support medium term provision for travellers with a requirement for the site to remain in place for a minimum of 10 years.

Consultation

The council’s report also shows that there would be an option available to eventually deliver 70 pitches on the Pengam Green site.

It added: “Consultation with residents over a number of years has clearly highlighted their willingness to move to alternative provision within the existing locality.”

Developing a comprehensive masterplan for Pengam Green would require funding of between £375,000 and £440,000, according to current estimates by the council.

The local authority’s report also includes a potential permanent solution for the Rover Way travellers’ site, which would involved realigning the main road to increase the availability of land to the south.

This is something that would also be explored in the masterplan.

Pengam Green opened as Splott Aerodrome in 1931 and was later renamed Cardiff Municipal Airport.

During the Second World War, the airport was requisitioned by the RAF and became known as RAF Pengam Moors.

Car factory

After the war, the airport was used by commercial airlines until 1954 when all civil flights were transferred to Rhoose.

Following its life as an airport, Pengam Green also housed a Rover car parts factory between 1964 and 1985.

Cardiff Council’s draft cabinet report recognises the site’s past industrial uses and states that that surveys would need to be undertaken to assess the extent of any land contamination there.

Pengam Green is also a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINC) and sits within a flood risk area.

The local authority said any proposals will also need to set out measures to mitigate any potential harm to the site and any potential flooding risks.

Cardiff Council’s cabinet members will meet to discuss the plans for Pengam Green on Thursday, July 10.

Before that, the draft cabinet report will be discussed by a joint scrutiny committee on Wednesday, July 9.