Cardiff Council Update: 13 December 2022

Here is our latest update, covering: gold standard energy-efficient new homes ready for Christmas; Roath Park Dam improvement works plan revealed; and exciting plans for Moorland Primary School set to progress.

Gold Standard Energy-Efficient New Homes Ready For Christmas

Residents of a new council housing development in the north of the city are settling into their super energy-efficient, low carbon new homes in time for Christmas.

The council has taken handover of 12 two-bed homes on the new Aspect Place development in Heath - part of the Council's Cardiff Living scheme with national developer Wates Residential, that is delivering 1,500 new homes in the city.

The scheme, which was awarded an Innovative Housing programme grant of £1.8m from Welsh Government, consists of 30 one and two-bed flats for rent from the council and 12 two-bed mews houses, six of which have been available to buy through First Homes Cardiff, the Council's assisted home ownership scheme, with the remainder being for council rent.

All 42 affordable homes on the development, built on the site of the former Highfields Day Centre off Allensbank Road, have achieved Passivhaus Certification - the gold standard of energy efficiency requiring high levels of insulation and low air permeability to create homes that require less energy to heat, helping to lower energy bills for residents and reduce carbon emissions.

While gas is still the primary source of heating and hot water on the development, the latest (hydrogen ready) Viessmann Vitodens 200-W combi boilers are being used and energy efficiency is further enhanced through the use of MVHR heat recovery and triple glazing.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "Delivering much needed affordable housing in a ward with high demand but low supply, Aspect Place in Heath is our flagship low energy-certified Passivhaus development. As well as boosting our supply of council homes for rent, I'm really pleased that through our First Homes Cardiff scheme, first times buyers who would normally be priced out of buying their first home have an opportunity to get onto the property ladder in these lovely new houses."

Roath Park Dam improvement works plan revealed

Plans to improve Roath Park Dam by replacing the existing spillway, which is the waterfall beside the café, with a new wider and deeper spillway and adding a flood wall along the promenade have been published.

Cardiff Council is responsible for the lake's maintenance and is required to undertake regular inspections (under the Reservoirs Act (1975)). The last inspection found that the spillway would not be large enough to withstand an extreme flooding event and improvements are therefore required.

The plans have been developed following a study by engineering consultancy company Arup to identify the best options for ensuring the future effectiveness of the Dam and the public are now being asked for their feedback.

Councillor Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Climate Change said: "Climate change means we are likely to have more frequent and more intensive storms in Cardiff, so the dam spillway needs to be able to cope with the potential for these more extreme weather events.

"Roath Park is one of Cardiff's most loved parks, and a full public engagement programme is underway prior to submitting a planning application in 2023, so that residents, businesses, and park users, are fully informed.

"The improvement works will ensure the future effectiveness of the dam so the park can continue to be enjoyed safely as the impacts of climate change become increasingly obvious."

Full information on the project is available on the project webpage:
www.outdoorcardiff.com/parks/roath-park/roath-park-dam-project/

The closing date for feedback on the plans is Monday 9 January 2022.

Exciting plans for Moorland Primary School set to progress

Exciting plans for Moorland Primary School in Splott, could soon be progressed following recommendations to Cardiff Council's Cabinet to release funding so that the scheme can get underway early in the new year.

In July 2022, the Cabinet agreed to establish a 20 place Specialist Resource Base at Moorland Primary School for pupils with Complex Learning Needs. This is part of a significant city-wide programme to expand provision, improve the standard of facilities and help to meet demand for special school places for primary and secondary age learners by more than 270, right across Cardiff.

The redevelopment of the school would also allow for the replacement of the Early Years Unit which is in essential need of updating and a replacement Flying start provision, subject to Ministerial approval for the enhanced Flying Start Welsh Government contribution.

The Flying Start provision would increase from 32 to 44 with 8 childcare spaces for 3 and 4 year olds and would allow children to move over from the current site at Willows high School which is to be relocated and rebuilt on land off Lewis Road in 2025.

Further works included in the Moorland Primary School development would include:

Providing a crèche and community room for parenting and community use
Demolishing the care takers house

If agreed, delays on implementing the SRB provision will be avoided and addressing the condition of the current school estate to ensure its suitability meet the demands of 21st century learning can move forward.

Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "The redevelopment of Moorland Primary School would present a wealth of exciting opportunities for the school and help to meet the needs of its community.

"The scheme could represent a significant investment in the Splott area and would bring forward a truly community focussed campus. A new early years unit would address suitability issues of the current provision and a new Flying Start site would provide the community with beneficial facilities such as a community room for parenting courses and a creche facility, also for use of the school and community out of hours.

"Additionally, as one of several schemes to help transform the provision of special and additional learning needs education in Cardiff, Moorland Primary School would boost modern, state of the art learning environment, not only helping to address a shortfall in places but also helping to spread the facilities right across the city."