A popular farm park has won planning permission to retain a high railway bridge on its land despite neighbours saying their privacy is disturbed by visitors walking over it and looking into their gardens. Cefn Mably Farm Park in Michaelston-y-Fedw between Cardiff and Newport has been granted permission to retain its "more substantial" bridge that the train passes under.
The farm, owned by Rhys Edwards, also applied to Newport City Council for retention of its pedestrian track through the farm, additional railway crossings and its miniature golf course - but none were as controversial as plans to raise the bridge - which had already been developed while the farm awaited news from the planning department. All requests have now been granted.
A planning document submitted by Barry Davies on behalf of the farm reads: “The footbridge of the existing narrow gauge railway is now constructed to be deeper, and overall has a more substantial appearance. The tunnel is finished with vertical and horizontal substantial timbers. A grass roof and substantial horizontal … railway sleepers bolted into the structure of the footway. A five-bar fence extends across both sides of the elevated footway.”
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With the farm attracting tens of thousands of visitors a year, some locals said the bridge is raised so high over Began Road that those passing over the railway can easily see into their gardens. They’ve even taken photographs from their gardens to prove their point.
One neighbour who objected to the application said: “The farm is open every day of the year except for Christmas Day from 10am to 5pm. An earlier application quoted 175,000 people coming to the farm and a great many use this walkway. They all overlook our garden.
“There have been numerous planning applications from the farm park and this is yet another one. We believe we are entitled to a return to the status quo before this work was carried out without planning consent. This means the removal of the overhead walkway and restoration of our privacy which we have enjoyed here for 40 years.”
Michaelston-y-Fedw Community Council also wrote to the planning department to raise their concerns. “While the council has no concerns regarding the miniature golf course, the bridge over the railway line does have an adverse impact on the privacy of nearby residents,” they said.
“Should Newport City Council be minded to approve this application, we would recommend a condition that the hedgerow adjacent to Began Road be allowed to grow to a sufficient height to screen the view into the gardens from the bridge. This height should be maintained for as long as the bridge exists.”
The farm park proposed that it would plant five cherry trees to restrict visibility from the bridge and fill any gaps with holly and shrubs. Newport council approved the application last week.
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