With work starting on the first homes later this month, planners at the City of Cardiff Council have today (8th March) recommended for approval plans for the remaining elements of Plasdŵr.
Lead developer, Redrow Homes, has already secured two planning permissions for the first phase of Cardiff’s £2 billion 21st Century garden city.
The Wales-based developer will shortly start work to the north of Llantrisant Road in Radyr on the first 126 homes of 630 which have been approved along with a primary school which will follow within four years. It also expects to start work before the end of the year on the consented 290 homes to the south of Pentrebane Road.
The application that will be considered by the city’s planning committee next Wednesday (15th March) includes an illustrative masterplan for the entire 900-acre (368-hectare) site, including the first phase.
Plasdŵr borders Radyr, Danescourt, Fairwater, Pentrebane and St Fagans in north west Cardiff. The three applications cover the city’s strategic site C, approved for development in the local authority’s Local Development Plan (LDP) and will deliver 5000 homes by 2026.
The planners’ report, filed today (8th March) ahead of next week’s decision, reveals that, in addition to the £22 million already committed through the first phase at Llantrisant Road, developers will contribute £55.7 million more in community benefits.
These include a new district health facility, £16 million for three further primary schools; £18.1 million for a secondary school; £4.8 million for community facilities.
In north west Cardiff as throughout the city, transport infrastructure is a key issue, and the report states that £13.8 million will be paid to the council to invest in transport improvements outside of the site itself. This is in addition to the £8 million already committed in Phase 1, and a further £6.3 million is to be invested in bus services.
The report also says Plasdŵr is expected to create over 30,000 jobs during its lifetime, many through the construction phase but also permanent jobs through the education, health, leisure, office and retail space it will create.
With the developers’ vision for Plasdŵr to create a ‘model for sustainable living’, the application contains extensive information on how the developers plan to conserve the natural environment and protect indigenous wildlife.
The section on transport within Plasdŵr is also extensive, with plans to encourage walking, cycling and public transport via a carefully planned hierarchy of roads, paths and cycleways.
Wayne Rees, project director for Plasdŵr at Redrow, welcomed the recommendation for approval.
“The proposals for Plasdŵr underpin Cardiff’s adopted LDP on a site already approved for development. With that in mind, plus today’s recommendation for approval by planning officers, we are optimistic that this last application will be approved in a week’s time,” he said.