A proposed scheme to build a new relief road linking Llanrumney to a major Cardiff road has taken a step forward, with plans announced to deliver new community sports facilities as part of the project. Cardiff council are set to consider the plan to construct a new bridge and link road over the Rhymney River which will provide a direct link between Llanrumney and the A48 Eastern Avenue in Pentwyn.
The proposals were made as part of a wider plan to redevelop the Cardiff East Park and Ride site in Llanrumney, with the new road being the first direct route between the area and Eastern Avenue, while it is also hoped it will help reduce traffic flows on residential roads and improve access to public transport for local residents. You can read more about the plans here.
A consultation has taken place on the sale and development of three parcels of land in Llanrumney, which will fund the new link road and bridge, alongside Section 106 contributions which are made by developers to contribute to community infrastructure. Through the scheme, there will be investment in local sports facilities, with new pitches and a club house set to be built. Get the latest news from across Cardiff sent straight to your inbox for free by signing up to our newsletter.
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The land adjacent to Llanrumney Hall, off Ball Road, which is current home to the playing pitch for Llanrumney Rugby Club is set to be sold by the council. While a significant area of greenspace will still be retained in front of Llanrumney Hall, an agreement has been reached to relocate this pitch to land off nearby Mendip Road, which is not suitable for development.
As well as a new rugby pitch, the redevelopment scheme will also provide a new full-spec, grass pitch for Llanrumney Football Club, mini pitches, and a brand-new clubhouse and changing rooms for both teams to use. Local clubs will also get access at community rates to a new state-of-the-art sports complex on the existing Cardiff University playing fields, which is being delivered through a tie-up between Cardiff University and the Cardiff City FC academy.
The sold land will also deliver a logistics centre on the site adjacent to the A48 bringing new jobs into the area, while there will also be 170 new homes on land off Ball Road and Ball Lane. Approximately 80 of these homes will be new council houses.
A report on the scheme will be discussed by Cardiff Council’s cabinet when it meets on October 20. It will be asked if the council can enter into a legal contract with the developer Curtis Hall Ltd, who published their plans for the site earlier in the year.
Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, Councillor Russell Goodway, said that the new direct link road will "improve public transport options for local residents," helping people get to work quickly while also cutting congestion. He also said it would bring "much-needed investment" to the area, with local sports clubs given a boost with improved facilities.
“The scheme will help bring about investment in community facilities," he said. "The local clubs in the area will be given new and better facilities and will also have access to the new Llanrumney sports complex at community rates.
“To ensure this development can proceed, we do have to re-purpose land in the area. This involves freeing up land which is suitable for housing development and replacing local facilities on land which is not suitable for housing development The money raised through the disposal of these sites will be ring-fenced to build the new bridge and road link and will fund the new sporting facilities, bringing much-needed investment to the area.”
The park and ride site, which is one of three in the capital, is used by hundreds of people every day with the service dropping users into the city centre by bus in as little as 15 minutes. It currently contains around 1,000 parking spaces, as well as bus drop-off and pick-up points and an office building.
The new bridge relief road will be used by vehicles and buses from the park and ride, with CGI views of the proposed development showing that they will be able to travel across the bridge in either direction. Pedestrians and cyclists will also use the bridge, with cycle storage installed across the redeveloped site to try and reduce dependence on making journeys by car.
The huge redevelopment will also see existing buildings on the site demolished, with 600 new parking spaces created. The number of spaces at the site could even be doubled from the current amount, with an area which can accommodate a future 300 spaces also being cleared. However, if these extra spaces are required by the council in the future, they would be subject to a separate planning application.
New industrial and commercial units will also be built, with hundreds of jobs created through both the construction and occupation of the site. Landscape improvements will also be made in order to improve walking and cycling along the Rhymney Trail, which runs parallel to the river.
A planning statement submitted to the council reads: "The proposed development provides the opportunity to provide significant enhancements to the existing park and ride in addition to providing employment floorspace and improvements to the landscaping across the site.
"The proposal would deliver a number of economic, environment and social benefits, including a new bridge connecting the site with Llanrumney, providing local jobs through the construction and operation of the site and reducing the number of cars travelling to Cardiff city centre."
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