General Developments

On a slightly different note Dwr Cymru have taken a 999 year lease on Llanishen and Lisvane reservoirs with, it seems the intention of returning them to their original purpose -

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local ... n-10748581

It looks as though development of this site is dead in the water - pun intended. I have mixed feelings about this. The reseidential development plans for the reservoir were half decent and there was a very strong whiff of Nimbyism attached to the Save our Reservoirs group.

However it's definately preferable for Dwr Cymru to takle on the lease with - preumably - the intention of refilling the Llanishen reservoir than leaving it as it is. If this site is now opened up for the public I hope it becomes much more accessible than before. The only time I ever went there was after an hours searching for an entrance. It was on a blazing hot summers day and we saw no-one there other than the girl manning the hut at the entrance and one or two dog walkers. Hardly the much beloved and well used leisure facility visited by generations of Cardiffians.

There was a nimby element to the protests. On the other hand the way a public asset had ended up in hands of some pretty rapacious Americans was a bit shoking.

Given future developments between Lisvane and Llanedyrn that part of the city could do with some decent parkland. Hopefully the resevoirs will be made far more accessable and user-friendly - although I suspect some of the local residents won't like that much either.

My understanding was that they decided to drain the reservoir before they had planning permission to develop. Stupid. London has done a good job with some of it's reservoirs around the M25. I see no reason why there couldn't be development to the north whilst maintaining the lakes.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales ... r-10765104

I would have thought the NIMBY's of North Cardiff could get a more articulate spokesperson than this guy! A rather rambling and incoherent plea that seems to hinge on the argument that the development in Churchland will lead to a significant increase in traffic collisions and problems on roads, especially around Cyncoed and Pentwyn.. and that kids might be late for school at Corpus Christi High School. Now access and congestion may be an issue, but it just reads a bit like desperately clutching at straws.

We've had quite in-depth discussions about the proposal before. I think initial views were that it didn't seem to fit that well with the wider masterplan area. It looks like they submitted an updated application in late 2014 with a D&A statement that seems, to me at least, to respond rather well to the site as a whole, with the provision of key links and access to the remainder of the site. There will be two main access points as I can see, in Lisvane and by Corpus Christi school.

There is, of course, the broader question of whether the infrastructure in the area as a whole can cope with the additional traffic generated by the broader N.E Cardiff extension. I think that is an open question, because it is difficult to see where roads could be widened or improved, or new roads added (unlike in N. W Cardiff, where if needs be, access to the A4232 cold probably be provided).

One of the big problems is that Pontprennau was build in an incredibly insular fashion. Heol Pontprennau could have become more of a through-route, but they decided to have it split into several sections and then dead-end. Might there be scope for some sort of access via a route that links somehow to J30 of M4? I can see that for traffic exiting the development (linking up to the Eastbound exit ramp), but not for traffic going back into the development.

My understanding was that they decided to drain the reservoir before they had planning permission to develop. Stupid. London has done a good job with some of it's reservoirs around the M25. I see no reason why there couldn't be development to the north whilst maintaining the lakes.

that was the plan, albeit the lake was a little smaller but with enhanced facilities

interesting images of Cardiff bay during its development on this Flickr page

https://www.flickr.com/photos/68324538@N04

Not sure if anyone had posted this, but the next phase of Fusion Point went in for planning just before Christmas:
http://planning.cardiff.gov.uk/online-a ... APR_114810

More information on the wider scheme here:
http://www.fusion-point.co.uk/fusion-point.php

Looks like its not a completely standard application. Instead it seems to be about removing some conditions that previously had to be agreed "pre-commencement" so that they can start preliminary works, and then if they get demand, do a quick and expedited build.

Its circa 60,000 square feet of office spare from Rightacres, who are the developers behind Central Square. Is this indicating that they thing there is robust demand? Esp for a product a bit below top rung. Circa £19-£20 a square foot perhaps.

Just drove past that new student development on Newport Road/Windsor Lane, it looks really grim - like a 1960's office block.

Just drove past that new student development on Newport Road/Windsor Lane, it looks really grim - like a 1960's office block.

I totally agree, and once again looks different to the plans in the planning app. If i were the council i would get fed up of this and tell them to knock it down, start again and make it look like what they planned. The top 2 floors look cheap and nasty, the frontage here is flat but the plans are more interesting to the eye and show texture.