Authority: 

Cardiff Council 

Proposed development:

Relocation of the existing Air Dome, throws area and football pitch (upgraded to a Tier 2) ; provision of new 3G rugby / football pitch; 2no. MUGAs and changing facilities. The relocation and provision of these new sports facilities will enable the building of the new Fitzalan High School.

Planning issues:

The application site is constrained with Lawrenny Avenue to the north; the existing schools; business and sports facilities in close proximity.  Therefore, careful design and layout was crucial to the successful delivery of the project.  Part of the site falls within a ‘River Corridor’ designation and flood zone 1A, with a major easement running through the site to the west.  The site historically was a landfill and has contamination present. 

Result:

The Project Team included Austin Smith Lord (Architecture and landscaping), Jubb (Civil & Structural Engineers; transport and geotechnical advisors), Aecom (Building Services & Sustainability), JBA Consulting and Wardell Armstrong providing ecology input and KEW Planning as planning consultant.  The collective team worked hard to ensure all of the planning matters issues were successfully dealt with.

Significant engagement with key stakeholders was carried out during the project, both during the Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) and post.  

The project team worked closely with these stakeholders, to provide an alternative solution and ensure no net loss of playing fields at the local primary school, as well as the continued protected privacy and amenity for neighbouring occupiers, together with new planting and landscaping work to maintain green areas. 

KEW Planning successfully negotiated with all statutory consultees and had close liaison and built a good relationship with the Planning Officer, to deliver no objections from all parties.  The result was a unanimous approval was achieved at Cardiff Council Planning Committee in March 2020.