Cardiff: Legal challenge over Hailey Park sewage station

A protest took place in the nearby village of Whitchurch

Cardiff council has until Friday to respond to a legal challenge about building a sewage pumping station in a popular park.

Llandaff North Residents' Association claim officials did not follow the proper process when granting permission for the development in Hailey Park.

Welsh Water said the pumping station was needed to take waste water from Plasdwr housing development in Radyr.

The council said it could not comment due to possible legal proceedings.

Cardiff North MP Anna McMorrin, who supports the campaigners, has written to Cardiff council urging it to quash the decision.

Serving the council with a letter before action means they must respond in case there are further proceedings such as a judicial review.

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Campaigners want the council to quash the decision to grant planning permission for the pumping station and go back to the drawing board.

"It's all around process," says Stephanie Wilkins from Llandaff North Residents' Association.

"Cardiff council didn't have all the information they required to make the decision.

"We say this isn't the right option for us as a community and it's not the right option for Cardiff either because we think they should invest more infrastructure on the other side of the river to separate the sewage and floodwater from the Plasdwr site."

On Friday, children delivered a poster to Ms McMorrin about the pump station in an event organised by community group, YGC Rebel Mams.

"They walk in the park, play for sports teams in the park and this is encroaching on their space," said Pam French, a member of the group.

"But they're also understanding the impact on nature."

Ms McMorrin said she remained "concerned by the inconsistencies surrounding the impact of the development on adjacent areas of informal and formal recreational open space".

A council spokesman said: "As the council has been served with a 'letter before action' in connection with possible legal proceedings it would be inappropriate to comment at this stage."