CardiffWalesMap

http://planning.cardiff.gov.uk/online-a ... APR_107951

This application for development around J33 of the M4 (albeit with access via Llantrisant Road for most residential cars, which seems stupid to me) was lodged in April 2014. It still has to be determined. Thats 21 months. Thats ridiculous.

I know this is a big and complex project. But whats the hold up? Is it developers not submitting environmental statements, etc. Is it the council taking its time? What?

I'm sort of tempted to write in to them to ask what the delay is!

I'd forgotten all about that one, that is a ridiculous amount of time. I wonder if it's the housebuilder rather than the council, it would be interesting to know.

Both seem as bad as each other at the moment, but has the lack of and LDP somehow made it easier to just hold on until it was passed?

I agree with you on the road access as well, just doesn't make sense to me. Instead of allowing quick access to that area and the likes of Pentyrch they worry about the possible negative impact, yet the same people are trying to get to and from the same places so they will just make other roads busier instead.

I think the main issue is that in their traffic planning they looked only at junctions (and then only a subset of those)! So they looked at J33 and found there are already hold ups there, and there will be even more so if they allowed full access. On the other hand, they found that junctions on Llantrisant Road between Castell Mynach and Danescourt Road were performing OK, and wouldn' be that adversely affected by the development.

But what about delays in travelling between junctions? And what about junctions closer to the centre (with the road from Whitchurch, the A48, Pencisely Road, etc)?

You might also think about the convenience of residents? Well, a telling paragraph in the transport assessment says that "transport policy aims at modal shifts away from private cars to public transport" and that this meant "efforts to improve convenience of drivers within the site, and more generally, is contrary to policy". Or words to those effects. In effect, the developer interprets policy to be that driving should be made harder, to get people to use public transports.

Having thought about it, there are other aspects of this development that seem a bit silly to me. The masterplan shows some of the business space not being accessible from J33, but instead being accessed via the residential elements (and hence Llantrisant Road). We've already seen occupiers move away from space in places like Llanishen that have poor transport. Why would they locate in a residential area on the very edge of the city?

I'm thinking the business space element is a plan they have no intention of implementing. As laid out, the business space looks like it lacks critical mass and is poorly sited in the overall site (see above). Either they will have to reconfigure, or just abandon altogether, and claim lack of demand. Then they can get more residential development on a site the council wanted to have at least some 'employment land' on.

Talking of phantom planning apps whatever happened to the new town centre in the space between Talbot Green, Pontyclun and Llantrisant?

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... d-10012876

I think its still ticking over, but very slowly. If the supermarket sector turmoil continues, I guess they will be worried about Sainsbury's pulling out.

Really surprised there isn't a proper website for this by now though!

I've got a feeling that Sainsbury's may not go ahead, I really think they should as there's a desperate need for another supermarket there. It seems that they are pulling out of a lot of new builds though to preserve profits in leaner times.

Council probably waiting for LDP to be adopted to determine the app against an up to date Plan etc. They would have to agree an extension to the period for determination with the developer.

The the UK cannot work out how to get a new nuclear power station built (Hinkley C) what hope is there for J33 housing?

On a side note, it seems that local authorities have become addicted to large supermarkets paying for half the road infrastructure around new housing developments, e.g. new ASDA in Barry. With this money gone the profits ain't there for the developers, maybe the land values need re-assessing.

Zach wrote:The the UK cannot work out how to get a new nuclear power station built (Hinkley C) what hope is there for J33 housing?

You lost me. You think getting a nuclear power station built is more straightforward than some housing estate?(!)

Zach wrote:On a side note, it seems that local authorities have become addicted to large supermarkets paying for half the road infrastructure around new housing developments, e.g. new ASDA in Barry. With this money gone the profits ain't there for the developers, maybe the land values need re-assessing.

That's a really interesting point. Supermarkets have been the anchor for all sorts of developments not least the Cardiff City Stadium. I know Bristol Rovers have been shafted by Sainsburys over their plans for a new stadium and there must be loads of other projecs in the balance.

I don't think we're that far off seeing some of the less succesful supermarkets closing. My money's on the Cardiff Bay Morrisons being the first to go. It's a huge site and the place has been dead when ever I've been there.