The LEFT Alternative has just received this tip off from a very concerned citizen (see below), a response from Cardiff Councillor Nigel Howells whose brief is Sports, Leisure & Culture to these concerns can be found in the comments section to this article."Cardiff Council has brought back plans to put a new access bridge into Bute Park and a ROAD through the park - this is immediately opposite the end of Corbett Road (ie off North Road and opposite Optometry).
In fact these are plans that will change the face of the park as we know it - the bridge is to be 9 metres wide! - this is to let 2 articulated lorries pass each other - a new, very wide road then drops over the feeder canal and down into the park near the nursery.
Many trees will be removed - amazingly a large number have already been removed without any planning permission approved - you can see the gash in the tree line. The plans have to be abandoned before the election but they are BACK with them again!"
Sign the petition here
Our correspondent asks:
"Have you seen the destruction, on the pretence of taking down a diseased tree! I hope you are appalled. Are the Council officers covering up this unlawful action BEFORE planning permission?"
Bute Park's designer and planer, Andrew Pettigrew, was one of the most important park designers of the second half of the nineteenth century, andthe open, flowing informal design allowed a smooth transition from a private pleasure ground to a public park. Much of the Victorian planting, particularly of ornamental trees, survives but are the trees safe in Cardiff Councils hands?
PLEASE OBJECT TO:
e-mail: rcole@cardiff.gov.uk
internet: www.cardiff.gov.uk/dc
Development Control, Strategic Planning & Environment, Room 127 City Hall, Cardiff, CF10 3ND
Application No. 07/02649/
CDate: 29/08/2008
Please ask for: Richard Cole
Telephone: (029) 2087 1668
Fax (029) 2087 1826
1 comment:
A wide range of vehicles currently need to get to the park to supply the nursery, deliver and dismantle equipment for events at Coopers Field, maintain and manage the water flow in the Dock Feeder, maintain the river bank and to maintain the park itself. The nursery is very busy and supplies most of the plants we see throughout our city.
At the moment these vehicles use the North Gate and vehicles must cross over the Dock Feeder Bridge to get into the park itself. The distance from the North Gate to the nursery is 1,000 metres
This route is currently very well used by cyclists and pedestrians. The Council plans to open up the North Gate of Cardiff Castle and to allow free access to the Castle Green. This will further increase the number of pedestrians in the area as more people access the park this way.
A new access to the park is therefore required which will remove vehicles from this area of the park.
The new access, in the form of a bridge, is proposed opposite Corbett Road. This will be very close to the nursery and as such will significantly reduce the amount of “vehicle miles” throughout the park.
There are a number of mistruths being spread. So for clarity:
• There are NO plans to build a new road through the park;
• The bridge is a single lane bridge with a shared footpath for cyclists and pedestrians;
• The bridge will be only 6.4 metres wide, 1.8 metres of which is the shared footpath;
• Only 7 trees are to be removed as a result of this work and these have been identified as in need of removal due to disease or their condition irrespective if the scheme goes ahead. None of them are “Champion Trees” and their condition was assessed by an independent arboricultural consultancy;
• Additional trees are to be planted to replace the ones needing to be removed due to disease;
• There is one Holly tree that will also be removed but this will be re-propagated and planted elsewhere within the park; and
• There are no plans to increase the number of events within the park.
These proposals will:
• Create a new, safe access to the park for vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists
• Reduce the number of “vehicle miles” within the park
• Allow free access to the park, through Cardiff Castle, by opening up the North Gate
• Remove traffic from one of the busiest thoroughfares for pedestrians and cyclists
• Remove an area of considerable anti-social behaviour (drug taking, etc.)
I would urge you have a good look at these plans, which can be viewed at the Planning Department in City Hall. An information sheet is also available – please contact me if you would like a copy.
Cllr Nigel Howells
nhowells@cardiff.gov.uk
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