Park campaigners lose sewage station legal bid

Campaigners raised over £11,000 for the application of a judicial review

Campaigners have lost their legal challenge to a sewage pumping station being built at a popular Cardiff park.

The Llandaff North Residents’ Association had argued the correct planning process had not been carried out for the development at Hailey Park in Llandaff North.

Campaigners claimed Cardiff Council did not complete an environmental impact assessment (EIA) before deciding on the application.

But on Monday, His Honour Judge Jarman KC ruled the council's planning report was not materially misleading.

He told the hearing at Cardiff Civil Justice Centre: “The fact that the pumping station is needed for the Plasdwr development does not mean that it will not also serve other existing and potential developments in the area."

Following the judicial review decision the Llandaff North Residents’ Association said its fight was not over, and there were "moral, health, wellbeing and environmental arguments not to build on our precious green spaces".

It added that the "decision to allow development on park land should concern every community in Cardiff".

Welsh Water said the sewage pumping station is needed to deal with the excess sewage from the Plasdwr housing development in north west Cardiff.

But some residents are worried the development could have a negative sensory impact and threaten local biodiversity.

The campaigners said in a statement: “It is evident that the planning system in Wales is broken, and favours developers’ needs over local communities: despite claims to care about the environment, planning legislation and guidance does nothing to ensure the environmental protections that we want and need.

“Now that the legal route has been concluded, we turn to our elected politicians to fight our corner.

“Now is the time for our politicians to step up and act in the interests of the people, not wealthy developers."

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said the court ruling meant the local authority "acted rationally and appropriately".

“We know residents will still have concerns about the impact of construction works, but we want them to know that we will work with them and with Dwr Cymru Welsh Water to ensure these are managed, and that the visual impacts of the development are mitigated through the approval of a detailed landscaping scheme.”