Pontcanna Pine application approved

Campaigners have said they are left disappointed and called Cardiff planning officers "weak" after a controversial application to build 14 flats in Pontcanna was approved today. The development known as Pontcanna Pine was met with intense opposition from local community, who felt the proposed flats would exacerbate problems with parking and damage a conservation area. Read our earlier report on local opposition here. Campaigner Simon White spoke to the planning committee, highlighting the extension of the building line on the corner of Kings Road and Severn Grove was not in keeping with the Conway Road and Cathedral Road conservation guidelines. Speaking after the meeting he said: "I'm disappointed councillors did not reflect the strength of feeling from the public. The planning officers are weak in Cardiff in terms of protecting conservation areas." Riverside ward councillor Mohammed Islam said the planning committee had not taken into account concerns of the local people in the area. He said: "We are very disappointed with this decision. Parking in this area is a massive problem and 14 new flats could potentially mean 28 more cars which there is no room for. There is already double parking going on in a number of streets so more cars just mean it will get more dangerous." Islam said fire engines trying to access the house fire which occurred this week on Severn Road , which turns into Severn Grove, were unable to gain access to the building because of the congestion of cars in the area. He said he was worried emergency services would find it difficult to access the road in the future with more cars. Local feeling represented at the meeting The application from developers Pine warehouse Limited was approved by all by all members of the planning committee today, bar one. Councillor Adrian Robson said the development would not "enhance the conservation area". But his motion to have the application deferred for refusal was not seconded. Planning officers recommended the application to councillors on the grounds amendments to the application had been made to the design to reflect other houses in the area. Representations were made made councillors Gwenllian Lansdown and Islam as well as, Cardiff Civic Society, against the application. Particular attention was drawn to lack of parking provision for the 14 flats, it is proposed there will be ten on-site parking spaces and 20 cycling spaces provided. Lansdown said: "The area is congested and this development will exacerbate the problem. The parking provided satisfies a minimum guidelines but does not take in the characteristic of the local area as it should." Islam said: "Pontcanna is a densely populated area and it's very hard to park. This is the top issue at planning meetings and police officer last Monday said they are struggling with parking issues. We don't need more flats in Pontcanna. "There's another development on Severn Grove from three years ago and many of the flats still haven't been sold off – we don't want Pontcanna to become Dubai or Spain." Planning agent for the application Phillipa Cole said: "Improvements to the access from parking layout have been made and the building is supposed to provide a book end approach to overall street scene. It meets parking and cycling requirements, and there are bus stops five minutes walk away." The site is currently being occupied by Tim Rice, a Welsh designer who is turning the old Pontcanna flea market into a design hub. Read our earlier post on it here. Today Rice said: "It was going to happen anyway so it's good for the developers. Hopefully was can keep this open as long as possible and if it's successful they'll let me keep it open for longer." What do you think of the planning committee's decision? Leave your comments below.