Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 62

A law to change the speed limit
across Wales is coming next year
news
Pop-up
recycling facility
opens in North
Cardiff
A new law, set to come into force in
2023, will see most 30mph speed
limits in Wales reduced to 20mph.
The Welsh Government is looking
to set the national default speed
limit on residential roads and busy
pedestrian streets to 20mph, in
order to make roads safer for
pedestrians, cyclists, and children.
Plans drawn up by the Welsh
Government show that the new limit
will apply to all roads where street
lights are not more than 200 yards
apart. These are typically found
in residential and built-up areas,
where the current speed limits are
30mph. The plans include some
exceptions, and councils will retain
the power to keep the 30mph limit
on certain roads if required.
Pilot schemes for the new lower
speed limits have been running in
Wales for several months, including
here in north Cardiff. The local
scheme covers the areas of Llandaff
North, Whitchurch and Tongwynlais,
Rhiwbina and Heath wards.
Mark Drakeford told the Senedd
Robbery at
Llandaff North
petrol station
Hooded robbers ransacked a
petrol station in Llandaff North
in early March, making off with
between £4,000 and £5,000
worth of cigarettes.
The robbers spent four minutes
inside the shop at James &
Jenkins, breaking into tills and
loading cigarettes into a bag.
CCTV footage recorded the two
men attempting to prise open
the till, only to find that it was
empty.
in 2019 that the default speed
in Wales should be 20mph. A
taskforce was created to assess
the viability of the scheme, which
presented the Welsh Government
with its recommendations.
Enforcement of the speed limits will
be the responsibility of the police.
Cardiff council's cabinet member
Caro Wilde said:
"As a council, we have been
installing 20mph areas across the
city, south of the A48, for a number
of years now.
"Slowing vehicle speeds in
residential areas is a positive step
forward for our local communities
and is supported by the majority
of residents. Research clearly
shows that reducing vehicle
speeds in residential areas does
reduce the number and severity
of road collisions, provides better
opportunities for residents to
walk and cycle, makes our streets
healthier and improves the
environment for everyone."
Sewage pumping
station outcry
More than 250 residents have
signed a petition objecting to plans
to construct a sewage pumping
station in a popular Llandaff North
park.
A planning application was
registered with Cardiff Council late
last year to construct a sewerage
pumping station and an associated
compound in the park.
The petition raised 250 signatures
in just four days, from locals who
were concerned about the plans
and its possible impact.
A new recycling centre has opened
in the car park of Cardiff's former
tax office in Llanishen.
The first pop-up recycling
facility of its kind opened in early
March. The site had previously
been purchased from HMRC by
Cardiff Council and the Welsh
Government.
Popular items, such as garden
waste, wood, metal, hard plastic,
textiles, batteries, and small
electrical items will be initially
accepted at the facility.
It's located in the car park on
the south side of the site and will
initially open only on Saturdays
from 9am-3pm for eight weeks.
Whitchurch
Fire Station
training tower
demolished
One of Whitchurch's well-known
landmarks has been demolished.
The training tower at Whitchurch
Fire Station was knocked down in
January to make room for a new
training tower.
The original tower was built in
1955, but was razed to the ground
after suffering structural problems.
A new Crofton training tower is
to be built in its place, providing
the Fire Service with a new USAR
(Urban Search and Rescue) base.
It will include three bays for storing
appliances, an office, meeting
spaces and mess facilities.
The planning application for the
demolition of the tower submitted
to Cardiff Council was granted
planning permission in July 2021.
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