Huge industrial structures could be demolished under new plans

Kieran Molloy – Local democracy reporter

Huge industrial structures in a Welsh city could be knocked down if demolition plans get the seal of approval.

Plans have been put to Cardiff Council by Associated British Ports (ABP) to demolish a “fuel tank farm” along with other industrial structures at Queens Way Road within the Port of Cardiff.

The structures earmarked for demolition include all 21 vertical and horizontal tanks on site as well as a warehouse, control room, boiler house, buildings related to the jetty and more.

Planning documents: “The site (the Greenergy Cardiff Tank Farm) has ceased to be used as a fuel storage facility, and the occupier wishes to remove all tanks, buildings and associated infrastructure from the site.”

Other documents state that demolition works will take somewhere between eight and 12 weeks.

If given the go ahead, demolition is expected to commence on August 9 and finish January 29, 2027. However, these are just preliminary dates.

To minimise the the impact of the process on the surrounding area during the demolition period, the applicants are proposing a number of measures like dust suppression, noise barriers, vibration monitoring, and contamination prevention to ensure the proper handling and disposal of demolition debris.

The demolition plan reads: “All generated waste will be sorted for re-use, recycling or disposal and placed into their respective skips.

“All non-hazardous waste that is not suitable for re-use on site will be loaded into skips from the registered waste contractor, and once full, transported to a licensed recycling facility or nominated landfill site.”

The cover letter sent to the council reiterates: “The planned demolition will be completed in a safe and controlled manner and will not give rise to any adverse impacts.”

All demolition will take place using “mechanical means”, with all buildings and structures on site to be demolished using an excavator following the completion of “soft strip activities”.

Demolition documents read: “Noise abatement is particularly important along the adjacent boundaries where other operators are closest to the demolition work areas.

“The demolition works will generate a range of different noises, most of which will not have a measurable impact.”

Noise mitigation measures include idling machinery when not in use, constant monitoring of sound levels and mufflers.

Any key “one-off events and some specific activities” that may cause an impact will be subject to their own noise management plans.

It continues: “The works are to be arranged to limit noisy activities close to residential areas to within core working hours.”

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