Residents hit out at at lack of amenities on major housing development years after moving in

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Residents living on a major Cardiff housing development are frustrated with how long it is taking for amenities to be delivered there years after moving in.

People have been living on the Plasdwr housing development in north west Cardiff since 2017.

A new primary school called Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen recently opened on the site which will eventually deliver 7,000 homes.

However, some residents said they are still waiting for shops to be delivered on site and one resident said she is considering moving due to the lack of amenities.

Rahaf Webb said: “The closest shop is Asda in Coryton, which isn’t ideal really.”

Rahaf, 28, has been living at Plasdwr with her husband for almost three years.

She added that they were told soon after moving in that there would eventually be some shops added to the development.

“That hasn’t happened yet”, said Rahaf.

“Luckily I recently got my drivers license, but before then I couldn’t pop to the shops and get things.”

“It was a hassle.”

Committed

Plasdwr said it is still committed to delivering a number of facilities for residents living on and near the site, including shops, healthcare facilities, green spaces and more schools.

Many residents said gaining access to a GP isn’t an issue and Rahaf said she can’t fault the Radyr Medical Centre which is only a short walk away.

She said “it was a nightmare” before she passed her driving test.

Rahaf added: “I had to wait for my husband to get back from work to do the shopping. We are looking to move out soon and the lack of facilities is a contributing factor.

“It is a really nice and quiet area, but at the same time there is not much around.”

The Plasdwr master plan was approved by Cardiff Council in 2017 and the development is being built across different phases by a number of companies.

Those involved at the moment include Redrow, Taylor Wimpey, Bellway and Lewis Homes.

Ravi Kiran, 45, has been living on the Rhiwlas estate for one and a half years.

He said: “We don’t have any supermarkets here. You have to go all the way into the city or the nearest one is in Talbot Green. I would have to drive there. It is about four miles either way. The surgery is fine, but we are really looking for a supermarket.

“We have a leisure centre in Fairwater, but I don’t know if there is a leisure centre in the plans for the whole of Plasdwr.”

Construction

The construction of homes as part of two separate planning applications relating to Plasdwr, one involving land to the north and south of Llantrisant Road and another involving land south of Pentrebane Road, is well underway with about 600 completed to date.

On top of the new primary school, Plasdwr said infrastructure improvements to Llantrisant Road and Clos Parc Radyr have also been delivered.

Part of this has involved the widening of Llantrisant Road to create new bus and cycle lanes.

The main application for the site, which is separate to the two mentioned above, will involve the construction of 5,970 homes.

Included in the approved plans are proposals for:

Two food stores up to 5,000sqm
Up to 5,100sqm of community and healthcare facilities
Three primary schools and one secondary school
Open space, including allotments, parks and green spaces
Play pitches
Facilities for children and young people
Footpaths and cycleways

Work on this development started recently and 40 homes have been built to date at the Maes Y Haf site.

The facilities being delivered as part of the main application will be triggered by house sales and the delivery of a food store is expected to be delivered once the 1,000th house has been occupied.

Poor

When asked about the current delivery of amenities at Plasdwr, one resident called Alex answered: “At the moment, [it is] poor.”

He continued: “There is a small Co-op down the road which does the job and there is the Asda and a Lidl down in Llandaff, but it could definitely do with a bigger one nearby.”

Another resident who has been living on Rhiwlas for a year said: “With such a big residential area, you would expect some shops.”

The resident, who did not want to be named, said he sometimes has to go to a nearby fuel station to shop. Otherwise, he will go to the Co-op in Danescourt.

He added: “Danescourt would be 10 to 15 minutes [by car]. It is in walking distance, but it would take 20 minutes. We would hope that there could be some shops opposite the road.

“That is pretty much what I want the most. It will be nice [for it] just to be like Danescourt or Whitchurch. Make it more like a community rather than just a block of houses. It is not there yet.”

Open space

Open space and children’s play areas have been delivered as part of the Gateway Linear Park, Cwrt Sant Ioan and Cae St Fagans developments at Plasdwr.

A spokesperson for Plasdwr said: “As it takes shape over the next 20+ years, Plasdŵr will deliver a number of facilities for Plasdŵr residents and those living in neighbouring communities including shops, healthcare facilities, green spaces, walking and cycling routes and five new schools.

“In addition to these, major infrastructure improvements are being made to encourage use of active travel in the area.

“We are pleased to be able to say that we are expecting to complete this phase of infrastructure works along Llantrisant Road in mid-November, and that the first community spaces at Plasdŵr are now open.

“Our first primary school, Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen opened its doors in September and the first of the public green spaces, the Gateway Linear Park complete with landscaping and water features is also open to the public.

“Play equipment for children has been provided as part of the Gateway Linear Park and there are small children’s play areas at the Cwrt Sant Ioan and Cae St Fagans developments, with planning in progress for a recreational space and kickabout area adjacent to the new primary school.

“We have always been clear that amenities such as shops, healthcare facilities and the remaining schools would be delivered in the future, in line with the number of completed homes at Plasdŵr.

“With a dynamic housing market, timescales for the delivery of these facilities have always been approximate and will naturally change over time due to the size and scale of the development.

“Our focus is on delivering the vital infrastructure improvements that will allow us to continue to complete the houses we need to bring these new facilities on board for residents and those living nearby to benefit from, and we are expecting to begin work on Plasdŵr’s commercial centre, Canol Plasdŵr, within the next 10 years.

“We are always happy to hear from members of the public with any questions. We are currently holding a series of drop-in sessions to allow residents to meet the team and raise any concerns they have in person.

“The next session will be held at Ysgol Gynradd Groes-wen primary school this Wednesday 18th October from 4pm-6:45pm.”