Plans for a new railway station and business park in Cardiff have again been shelved after the Welsh Government decided to reopen a planning hearing into the proposals. Two-day hearing on development plans for land south of St Mellons Business Park, concluded on July 12th with the participation of experts and key stakeholders.

The Welsh Government has since said it expects a decision on the plan to be made by the end of 2023. In October 2023, shortly after the project’s planning inspector’s report was presented to Welsh ministers for a decision, changes to Welsh language planning policy.

As a result of the changes, the Welsh Government has decided to resume the planning hearing on 16 January at 10am. Key changes introduced to Welsh planning policy in October include a greater emphasis on protecting green spaces and biodiversity, including a strengthened approach to protecting SSSIs. For more Cardiff news sign up to our newsletter here.

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At a county hearing on Tuesday, a planning inspector will examine how Cardiff Parkway Development Ltd’s plans comply with the updated policy. Plans for Cardiff Parkway station and Hendre Lakes business park were approved by Cardiff City Council in April 2022.

However, when plans were put on hold In October of that year, the Welsh Government withdrew the request. Planning applications are usually referred to the Welsh Government if they are considered to be of greater than local importance.

Planning and Environment Wales (PEDW) hearings in July considered the project’s compatibility with the national and local development plan and the impact it would have on the Rumney and Peterstone Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Friends of Gwent Levels Layd have raised concerns about the impact on biodiversity of building a new business park on the site.

Dr Catherine Linstrum of the Friends Group said SSSIs can be prevented. As part of the proposed mitigation for the area, developer Cardiff Parkway Developments Ltd offered SSSI a piece of land as compensation for any damage. However, another member of the friends group, Dr Diana Callaghan, said: “We don’t see how the compensation scheme guarantees the sustainability of this entire ecosystem.

“There will be a lot of human activity where there isn’t now.” Developers also claimed the development would transform the area.

Cardiff Council’s head of economic development, Ken Poole, said a major technology company had expressed an interest in working on the business park, while Trowbridge ward member Cllr Michael Michael described the plans as an “opportunity”. Cardiff. Following the hearing on January 16, the planning inspector will present a new report to Welsh ministers.