Rhiwbina Living Issue 50

Northern
Meadows
Whitchurch and Coryton's Northern Meadows have provided a
green space for decades. Now they are under threat of destruction
They have been the lifeline
for many during the COVID19
lockdown. A beauty spot that has
allowed many to maintain their
physical and emotional well-being;
the living, breathing lungs of the
local area.
Yet Whitchurch’s Northern
Meadows are now facing extinction
of their own as residents fight to
save them from the development of
a new cancer treatment hospital.
One of the old bridges
along the footpaths
The 23-acre site of meadow,
ancient trees, shrub and grassland
are earmarked for the new Velindre
Hospital development. The area
is bordered on three sides by the
Forest Farm SSSI Nature Reserve
an abundant, diverse wildlife haven,
local heritage sites, housing and
schools.
David Powell, Velindre’s Project
Leader said:
“We have pledged to keep our
selected site green. This means
maintaining and enhancing
community access, supporting the
ecological diversity and natural
environment of the site, while also
implementing sustainable transport
and a Green Travel Plan.
“We want to provide patients
with a better, more peaceful and
restorative healing environment for
treatment. The Northern Meadows
provides a great site with planning
permission to do this.”
But residents are not happy.
There are over 300 households in
local community without a garden
and locals say that the Northern
Meadows have provided them with
access to green spaces.
The Save The Northern Meadows
campaign was recently launched
to help fight the plans. Their aim
is to see the incorporation of the
Northern Meadows into the nearby
Nature Reserve and secure it for
future generations. In a recent
survey of 400 residents, 91% of
participants said that they were
against the development of the
hospital on the site.
“We recognise the serious need
to update cancer services in Wales.
But we believe this site should
never have been granted planning
permission in the first place due to
its inaccessibility and its proximity to
the nature reserve.
“It will be impossible to keep the
site green as construction demands
the bulldozing of 600 trees and
some of the last 3% of meadowland
in Wales.
“These fundamental flaws in
the location of the site mean any
attempt to access it will cut a
significant number of trees in the
Photos: Catherine Davies