New cat rescue centre to be built next to aircraft maintenance site despite concerns

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Concerns have been raised about a charity’s plans to build a cat rescue and adoption centre next to an aircraft engine repair and maintenance site.

The plan for the centre at the existing over-flow car park of Caerphilly Garden Centre in Old Nantgarw Road, Nantgarw was given approval by RCT’s planning committee on Thursday, April 16.

An objection to the proposal raised concerns that the testing of aircraft engines in the nearby GE Aerospace Wales site would affect the welfare of the cats.

The letter of objection also raised concerns about the lack of disabled parking proposed, adding that there was the potential for parking for the wider site to be reduced.

The applicants, Cats Protection, said at least one volunteer would be in attendance every day of the week, including outside the stated public hours of operation as necessary to ensure cats are safe, fed and well.

The development will include 12 cat pens, staff and utility facilities, plant and storage, four parking spaces and one delivery vehicle bay.

There are expected to be between two and four volunteer staff on site at any one time, with the intended opening hours to the public to be between 8am and 5pm for five days a week.

Visitor access will be strictly by appointment only and one volunteer would be in attendance every day of the week, including outside the stated public hours of operation as needed, to ensure cats are safe, fed and well.

A planning report states that Cats Protection is a national cat charity that operates many centres nationwide and that they have strict cat welfare protocols and constant veterinary involvement and advice at all their centres to ensure the utmost cat welfare is maintained.

The proposed centre at Caerphilly Garden Centre will be almost exclusively a rescue and adoption centre for the purpose of receiving cats.

The cats will normally be transferred to one of the charity’s dedicated rehoming centres, which are open to the public for this purpose.

The report says there will be very little attendance by the public at this facility but where this does occasionally occur it will take place strictly by appointment and during the stated working hours.

Seven days a week

The centre and cats will be tended to seven days a week between the hours of 8am-5pm on a rotation of two to four volunteers.

The applicant has also said that there is an employee located within a few miles of the Centre to support the volunteers on the ground.

The cats will also have their daily husbandry needs met and social interactions as per the preference of the cat.

The plans also include external works including hard and soft landscaping and there are also 32 solar panels proposed on the roof.

Planning officers at the council have recommended approval for the scheme, saying: “The application is considered to comply with the relevant policies of the Local Development Plan in respect of its impact on local biodiversity, visual impact and the impact it has upon the amenity and privacy of the neighbouring residential properties

“It is also considered that the proposed use is compatible with the surrounding commercial and industrial uses present within the wider site.”