Headland link scheme faces difficulties

Ted Peskett Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to link Cardiff and Penarth with a headland walk and cycleway have run into difficulties.

A Cardiff Bay advisory committee report that will go before Vale of Glamorgan Council’s cabinet members this week shows that the plans have been changed so that the proposed route will only be 4m wide instead of 12m wide.

The change to the plans comes as the project, which was brought back to life in 2015, faces challenges amid an increase in projected costs.

“Challenging and difficult period”

The report states that a representative from the Penarth Headland Link Charity told the committee at a recent meeting about the “challenging and difficult period” for developing the link.

It goes on to say that despite Welsh Government support, the impact of Brexit, war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis have all contributed to a rise in construction costs.

The report adds: “Subsequently, the volunteer experts who had been working on developing the link had maintained contact with the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council in order to discuss rising costs… and it was agreed that a more modest scheme would be more viable and achievable.”

Cycling and walking will both still be allowed on the link as part of the plans and the scheme is being funded solely by the Welsh Government at this stage.

Non-financial support is expected from Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff councils and other funding streams, like UK levelling up funding, will be looked at as well.

Support

The proposals have been submitted to the Welsh Government and the Cardiff Bay advisory committee’s report states that the Welsh Government appears to support their new approach.

An initial project to get the headland link scheme off the ground, which rose to more than £23m in cost, failed in 2007.

The proposed 1,100m pathway would, if it goes ahead, be built on top of the beach rocks of the headland and stretch from the northern part of The Esplanade to Cardiff Bay Barrage.

The next meeting of the Cardiff Bay advisory committee is scheduled to take place on Wednesday February 28 at 5pm.