Wasteland beside busy city road set for new lease of life as flats

Kieran Molloy – Local democracy reporter

A patch of wasteland next to a busy city road looks set for a new future as a block of flats under new plans.

If approved, the scheme would see a three-storey apartment block built on the site of a former car wash on Cowbridge Road West in Cardiff which has since been demolished.

The proposed footprint of the site also includes a two-storey property that will be demolished to make way for the flats if the plans are given the go ahead.

Planning documents on the application describe the patch of land that’s been put forward as “underutilised” and “dilapidated”.

The new block is planned to include 16 flats in total, split between three single bedroom apartments and 13 two-bedroom flats.

In planning documents, the proposed three-storey building is called a “high-quality” design that will “preserve and sympathetically enhance” the local area.

It also reads that the development will “create an attractive living environment” for the potential new occupiers while “enhancing the appearance of the land”.

The site is located at 173-175 Cowbridge Road West in Caerau.

Planning documents read: “The application proposal for an attractive and well laid out residential development ensures that there are no adverse impacts on neighbouring amenity and/or upon the natural and built environment.

“There are no recognisable adverse highway impacts.

“Given the appropriate scale and attractive appearance of the new flat development it will be in keeping with the urban setting, as viewed along Cowbridge Road West.”

According to documents submitted to the council, during the pre-consultation hearing the local ward councillor, Cllr Peter Bradbury, raised concerns about the scale of the project, possible congestion and parking pressure and “social impacts”.

However, these concerns are not present on the current application submitted to the council.

Parking for the development is planned to include a parallel driveway and two parking spaces as well as 29 cycle parking spaces.

Trees, shrubs, a green roof, hedges are also planned for the project, these are said to further enhance the housing provision.

During the planned demolition process, plans have been included to reduce the impact of dust, noise and vibrations on the local area.

No date has been given yet for when a final decision will be made on the application.

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