Welsh ministers urged to take over decision on controversial data centre plans

Kieran Molloy, Local Democracy Reporter

Welsh Government ministers have been urged to take control of a controversial planning application for a huge data centre proposed on the site of a hospital park-and-ride facility.

Cardiff councillor Joe Carter has asked the Welsh Government to “call in” plans for the development at the Cardiff East Park and Ride in Pentwyn, meaning the final decision would be made by ministers rather than Cardiff Council.

Curtis Hall Ltd submitted plans in January to build the data centre on the site, which is currently used to provide a free park-and-ride service for the University Hospital of Wales.

The proposal has attracted significant opposition, including protests at County Hall and a petition calling for the Welsh Government to intervene.

Cllr Carter, a Liberal Democrat who represents Pentwyn, has now written to Planning Minister Siân Gwenllian asking her to use her powers to call in the application.

Such interventions are rare. According to the Welsh Government, only around five to 10 of approximately 25,000 planning applications each year are called in for determination by ministers.

Cllr Carter told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “We’ve been fighting the controversial plans to demolish a popular hospital park and ride and replace it with an energy intensive data centre since the end of last year.

“It’s the equivalent of 10 football fields. It will use the electricity of 100,000 homes and potentially 0.6m litres of water a day.

“These proposals undermine the One Planet Cardiff strategy and any other green aspirations this city and country have.

“We are calling on the planning minister, Siân Gwenllian MS, to use her powers to call in this application, take independent evidence, and make a decision.

“Her predecessor did this with the Cardiff Parkway Railway and that was much better aligned with Welsh Government transport and climate change policies.”

The call-in request, signed by Cllr Carter and fellow councillor Dan Naughton, also raises concerns about the potential impact on roads, the loss of a public amenity and access to the hospital.

It argues the proposed data centre would be “extremely energy intensive” and could have a “severe impact” on the ability of patients to travel to the hospital.

A petition carrying 2,995 signatures was submitted with the letter.

The application has also attracted more than 1,300 comments on Cardiff Council’s planning portal, with 1,296 objections and two comments in support.

Ambitions

A spokesman for the developer told the LDRS: “Our planning application sets out how we have designed the scheme in line with local planning policy, to minimise environmental impacts, whilst supporting South Wales’ economic and investment ambitions as an AI growth zone.

“The site ceased operating as a park and ride due to significant operating costs and underuse by visitors.

“Cardiff council granted temporary use of the site to University Hospital of Wales for use as a car park in 2023 pending the site’s longer-term redevelopment.

“We understand that Cardiff Council continues to support the hospital in securing a more sustainable alternative parking site.

“Our plans would improve sustainable transport for local communities living closest to the site through the provision of a new bridge and link road between Pentwyn and Llanrumney, connecting these communities and relieving the congestion on surrounding roads.”

No decision has yet been made on the planning application.

The Welsh Government’s Planning Directorate has been contacted for comment.

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