Plans for a new £120m South Wales mainline train station at St Mellons on the outskirts of Cardiff, integrated into a major business park, have been called in by the Welsh Government. This is despite the Cardiff Bay administration having an ownership stake in the project.
The Cardiff Parkway station development and associated Hendre Lakes business park secured planning consent from Cardiff Council back in April with the hope that work could start almost immediately. Leader of Cardiff Council, Huw Thomas, recently said his authority would work tirelessly to ensure the project is delivered as a key new public transport hub - with the aim of serving 800,000 rail passengers a year - and employment location for the wider Cardiff Capital City Region.
Now the project, in which the Welsh Government itself has invested £10m in return for a minority equity stake in the company behind it, Cardiff Parkway Developments Ltd, has been put on hold pending the outcome of the review. The Welsh Government will appoint an inspector to assess the project, who will then make a recommendation as to whether it should proceed or not to Welsh Government ministers - who will have the final decision.
The Welsh Government put in place a holding order to call in the development last November. While it was prudent to wait on the decision of Cardiff Council and its subsequent planning approval in April, it is not clear why it has taken until now for it to call it in.
The decision has been confirmed in a letter to chief planning officer of Cardiff Council, Simon Gilbert, from the head of planning decisions at the Welsh Government, Lewis Thomas.
Requests for the application to be called in, writes Mr Thomas, identify a number of issues, including claims “that it does not comply with national policies”, specifically the recommendation of the South East Wales Transport Commission (chaired by Lord Burns) and that the project is “likely to significantly affect sites of scientific, nature conservation or historic interest or areas of landscape importance.”
However, delivery of the Cardiff Parkway Station project is in fact one of the key recommendations of the Burns Commission which was tasked by the Welsh Government to look at alternative measures to reduce traffic congestion on the M4 in south-east Wales with an emphasis on integrated public transport. It was established after the Welsh Government’s decision not to proceed with an M4 Relief Road south of Newport. The station was also cited in the Union Connectivity Review, commissioned by the UK Government, to look at measures to improve transport and digital infrastructure across the UK. It was chaired by Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy.
In his letter Mr Thomas says that Natural Resources Wales has also "expressed significant concerns” at the potential adverse effects to features in the Rumney and Petersone site of special scientific interest and “advise that appropriate compensation is required for the habitat that will be lost by the development.”
The aim was for the four platform station to become operational next year and over time the Hendre Lakes business park developing up to 900,000 sq ft of new office, retail and leisure space. Once fully developed it said the business park could create up to 6,000 new jobs. While the project is shovel ready its completion target ( train station) of 2024 will now depend on the time taken by the inspector to make an assessment - assuming ministers give approval. However, any delay could add further cost to the train station and first buildings in the business park with construction prices spiralling.
The Welsh Government holds a 10% stake in the project with 60% held by international banking and wealth management group Investec. The remaining 30% is held by entrepreneur Nigel Roberts and his family.
On the decision to call it in, chairman of Cardiff Parkway Developments, Mr Roberts, said: "We are disappointed and frustrated that the Welsh Government has extended the decision making process. With all the effort that’s gone in, we are confident that our application is robust and we will work through the issues they have highlighted. We remain fully committed to the delivery of this major project, which will result in thousands of new jobs and create a major new rail hub which is fully aligned to Welsh Government policy.”
A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “The application will be examined by an appointed inspector who will then make a recommendation to ministers. Once the recommendation has been made, Welsh ministers will make a decision as soon as possible, while ensuring all evidence is given due consideration."
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