Whitchurch and Llandaff Living Issue 62

news
Waun Gron Road
development
given green light
The development of a
sustainable mixed-use
scheme including new
housing, retail and bus
interchange on Waun Gron
Road was granted by Cardiff
Council during the winter,
subject to a call in request
and legal agreement from
the developer on the
conditions that have been
set.
The scheme, on the site of
the former recycling centre
in Llandaff, will deliver 44
new council homes, office
and commercial spaces, as
well as a new access road
designed to integrate the
proposed transport hub with
the residential development.
The new properties, part of
the Council’s development
programme to increase the
availability of affordable
homes in the city, will be
highly energy-efficient,
making using of renewable
technologies such as ground
source heat and solar
PVs to achieve significant
improvements on current
energy performance
requirements.
Around half of the one
bed and two bedroom
apartments will be used to
accommodate people on
the city’s housing waiting list
while the remaining homes
will be temporary, supported
accommodation for people
who have previously
experienced homelessness
but are ready to move on to
more independent living in
their own tenancy. Low level
support for these tenants will
be provided on site.
4
Replacement cladding work finally
gets underway in Llandaff North
After three years of waiting, work
has finally started on replacing the
cladding on council flats in Llandaff
North.
Flammable cladding was
discovered on Lydstep Flats in
March 2018, following concerns
about fire safety in the building
following the Grenfell Tower fire.
Cardiff Council removed the
cladding in December that year,
leaving residents with poor
insulation from the cold, and mould
growing on the walls.
Contractors have now started to
replace the cladding, and work is
expected to last until summer 2023.
Councillor Lynda Thorne,
cabinet member for housing and
communities, told the press:
“I’m so glad, as I know all the
Lydstep residents are, that
contractors are now on site to begin
replacing the cladding that was
removed because it didn’t meet
School strikes
take place
Strikes by staff at Llandaff's Howell's
School took place in March following
a dispute over pensions.
Around 60 teachers at the school
joined other teachers across the UK
following an initial strike in February.
The establishment is part of the Girls'
Day School Trust (GDST), a national
organisation comprising 23 mainly
single-sex independent schools in
Wales and England. The organisation
has proposed to withdraw from the
Teachers Pension Scheme (TPS).
Teachers say that they will lose out on
vital pensions later in their careers if
the proposal is confirmed.
The GDST has said that it wants to
withdraw from the TPS due to rising
costs. The strikes were eventually
called off after a deal was struck from
both sides.
current fire safety standards.
“The cladding we’re using to
overclad the three blocks is of the
highest level of fire safety.”
All 126 flats will receive new
windows and upgraded balconies
as part of the new work. Residents
in council flats in Butetown
however, are still waiting for
contractors to begin installing their
replacement cladding. No start date
has been announced for their work.
Cardiff Council blamed the delays
for the work on Brexit and the
pandemic, in addition to new rules
surrounding safety testing for the
new cladding. Financial estimates
for the work at Lydstep Flats have
risen from the original £7.4 million to
a revised figure of £15 million.
Cllr Thorne added:
“Progress on this work has been
affected by significant cost rises due
to Brexit and inflationary pressures
in the building industry, as well as
the impact of the extensive testing
and regulation framework for
cladding solutions.
“Throughout this time, we have
been so grateful to the residents
for their patience as we worked
on finding the right solution for
the three blocks, and it’s great to
see contractors on site and work
underway.”
New play area
re-opens
A play area in Cardiff has recently
reopened for children to play after
the completion of a revamp just in
time for half-term.
The play area at Llandaff Fields
was opened by children from
Llandaff City C.I.W. Primary School.
Works on the play area started in
October 2021 and were completed
on Friday, February 11.
Schools from across Cardiff
were invited by Cardiff Council
Parks department to provide their
thoughts and ideas on how the play
area could be developed.
Children are now able to enjoy
3 large new slides, climbing nets,
climbing ropes, a large sphere,
stepping-stones, new benches,
and paths. Other climbing play
equipment will also be added.