WRITE TO THE PLANNING INSPECTORATE NOW!

Local Cllr Jayne Cowan has just sent us this update...

"Just a short note to advise that I have made contact with the Planning Inspectorate and they have confirmed the following contact details for people wishing to make their representations.

Although the application has not been formally registered, this should be done in the next few days.

The Planning Inspectorate
Crown Buildings
Cathays Park
Cardiff
CF10 3NQ

Telephone: 029 2082 3866
Fax: 029 2082 5150

wales@planning-inspectorate.gsi.gov.uk

wales@pins.gsi.gov.uk

I will also post this on our website www.rhiwbinaward.com"

M&B and Charles Church have appealed

Local Cllrs Jayne, Adrian and Brian contacted the Pantmawr Action Group with the following:

We are sorry to advise that Mitchells and Butler and Charles Church have appealed against the Pantmawr Inn Decision.

We are putting out a flyer to every house in Pantmawr to advise them of this over the next few days.

A public meeting has been arranged for Monday 26th May, 7pm at All Saints Church Hall.

Please contact us with your views which we will forward to the National Assembly for Wales.

Best wishes

Jayne, Adrian and Brian

Email Jayne - JCowan@cardiff.gov.uk

PLEASE CHECK BACK HERE SOON FOR MORE DETAILS.

The Pantmawr PARTY!

Come and celebrate the Pantmawr victory with us, this Friday at the Pantmawr Inn!

Letter from the First Minister

Dear Sue,

I was very pleased to hear that the well supported campaign against the redevelopment of the Pantmawr site was successful and Cardiff Council's Planning Committee recently turned down the application.

I am well aware of the importance of the pub, especially for the Pantmawr residents, and that since the closure of the Heol Ffynnon Wen shops, it is the only facility on the estate available for the local community's use.

It is also an important part of the living heritage of North Cardiff, a place where people can meet and can now enjoy good value food & drink in a well-run establishment.

The future may not yet be totally secure, but the Committee's decision, reflecting local people's concerns as well as needs, is an important step in preserving the Pantmawr for future generations and I wish you and the pub every success.

Yours

Rhodri

Reasons planning permission was refused

Local independent Councillor Jayne Cowan confirmed the reasons planning was refused - reasons cited by the planning officer.

Pantmawr Inn - reasons for refusal - 07/1980

RECOMMENDATION 1: That planning permission be REFUSED for the following reasons:

The proposed development by virtue of its scale and massing would be out of keeping with the pattern and density of development in the surrounding area and would appear obtrusive and over-dominant when viewed from neighbouring properties, to the detriment of visual amenity, residential amenity and the character of the area and contrary to policy 11 of the Cardiff Local Plan, policies 2.20 and 2.24 of the deposit. Cardiff Unitary Development Plan and paragraph 9.3.3 of Planning Policy Wales.

The density of the proposed development is such that the development would be contrary to policy 2.24 of the Cardiff Unitary Development Plan in that there would not be an adequate distance between facing habitable room windows of dwellings within the application site and between such windows of the proposed dwellings and existing dwellings surrounding the site to maintain a satisfactory standard of privacy.

Celebratory emails from campaign supporters

The Pantmawr Action Group has received a huge number of emails following the Planning Committee voting NO to development. Here's just some of them:

A short note to say many thanks for all the hard work that you’ve put in on the campaign to stop the Pantmawr planning application. My wife and I moved here last year, and we quickly realised the importance of the pub as a focus for the estate and a place for our three year old daughter to play. We were horrified at the prospect of losing it before we’d really had a chance to get to know it, and I have no doubt that this would have been the result had you not decided to press the case with such commitment and innovation. I’ve attended the last two planning meetings and the site visit and have been amazed at the support that you’ve mobilised. Pantmawr is fortunate to have you. [Pantmawr resident]

Congratulations and thanks to all concerned for achieving this result. By mounting such a professional and well informed campaign you have demonstrated how members of the community can exert a real and positive influence over decisions which affect them. You have also highlighted a worrying naivety and lack of rigour in the way that the planning and highway officers handled such a badly prepared proposal. Hopefully lessons will be learned in County Hall. [Elwyn Owen, Pantmawr resident]

Congratulations. What an amazing result. Everyone worked so hard to ensure the right result was achieved. [Independent Cllr Jayne Cowan]

Latest newsletter to residents

PANTMAWR ACTION GROUP NEWSLETTER – 18th APRIL 2008

PANTMAWR INN SITE PLANNING APPLICATION

You should all be aware by now from other notes around the Estate that the Planning Application for 34 dwellings on the Pantmawr Inn site was rejected by the Planning Committee. Excluding the Chairman, of the six Councillors present and able to vote, five voted to reject the application and one abstained. From a point of view of fairness we should make it quite clear that Adrian Robson, the Independent Councillor for this area on the Planning Committee, was obliged to declare an interest and withdraw as he had publicly stated his opposition to the plans prior to becoming a member of the Committee. A comment that he didn’t bother to vote is inaccurate. The Labour Councillor present voted in favour of rejection.

We would like to record our grateful thanks to our local Councillors Jayne Cowan, Adrian Robson and Gareth Neale for the support they have given us during our campaign to defeat this application. We have also been supported by Julie Morgan MP, Jonathan Morgan AM, Chris Franks AM and others. We would also like to acknowledge the fantastic support we have received from residents of Pantmawr especially and users of the Pantmawr Inn. Without their demonstration of support at the two planning meetings and at the site visit it is possible we would not have achieved a positive result. However, the applicants can appeal to the National Assembly for Wales against the decision by the Council or they could submit a new application to develop the site. We cannot allow ourselves to be complacent.

We should emphasise our campaign is not just about saving the Pantmawr Inn, but about rejecting totally unsuitable developments on the site.

PS. Could the person who contacted the Chairman about Bats please ring him again on 20628484 and remind him of their address so that he can let them have the promised copy of the report on the survey that was carried out last year.

"It's a wonderful result"

“It’s a wonderful result”- The words of PAG’s chairman Hugh Payne says it all. Yesterday the Council’s Planning Committee voted to reject plans to demolish the Pantmawr Inn and build apartments on the site. Below is what happened at the meeting.....

At the Planning Meeting, Richard Twomlow spoke on behalf of PAG and other objectors and neatly summarised the range of objections in an excellent 3 minute speech – detailing the main objections as the loss of the pub as a community facility, and fundamental planning problems – massing, scale, access, and open space. Twomlow urged the Committee to reject the application

Developers Charles Church had the opportunity to respond but chose not to.

Conservative Councillor Gareth Neale spoke and congratulated PAG on a “superb campaign”. Neale said his main concerns were access to the site as the entrance is narrow and obscured, and this matter had been ignored by the Highways Officer. He also drew attention to various inaccuracies in the plans. Neale also discussed a Times article published a couple of weeks ago which claimed every 6 hours in England and Wales a pub closes. Neale urged the Planning Committee to reject the application.

Independent Councillor Jayne Cowan thanked the Planning Committee for attending the site visit to consider the impact of the development, and praised PAG’s use of balloons to illustrate the height and area of the proposed development. Cowan went on to highlight various inaccuracies in the application and questioned the Committee as to how they could vote on an application that is inaccurate. Cowan argued that Councillors should reject the plans on overdevelopment of the site; scale and character of the development would be overbearing; privacy standards would be reduced by the development; the un-neighbourly nature of the apartments including their close proximity to existing dwellings; the development being out of keeping with the area; and the impact the development would have on existing houses; and loss of amenity as the development would mean the loss of amenity for 1000 residents – “it will mean no parks, no shops, no nothing”. Cowan urged the Planning Committee to reject the application.

Planning Officer Martin Morris talked through the application, and noted that there had been a huge number of objections from local residents, as well as Jonathan Morgan AM, Julie Morgan MP, and the Rhiwbina Civic Society. Morris claimed that objections based on the pub acting as a community facility should not be considered because he claimed the pub doesn’t act in the same way as a community facility and that in a January 2007 audit, a report stated that there were community facilities located within a one mile radius of the site. This comment was met with jeers from the audience gathered. Morris went on to argue that the site for proposed development was an “isolated site” on the Pantmawr estate – a comment which caused the room to erupt into laughter and jeers. Morris thanked PAG for the balloons at the site visit, but claimed that they were not set at an appropriate site. PAG can confirm that the balloons were laid out by a civil engineer!! Morris apologised for citing the Monico flats as an example, and admitted he’d made a mistake by claiming that particular site was in Rhiwbina. Morris said that he believed the plans were for a “reasonable” development, and said “we recommend approval”.

The Highways Officer discussed two issues – access and traffic. She confirmed that the width of the entrance is indeed 6.8m – a correction to the original application – pointed out by PAG! She went on to argue that the pub currently has 84 parking spaces, and that the new development would only have 48 – meaning a reduction in traffic. This was also met with boos and jeers as the cars would be entering and leaving the site at peak times, meaning an increase in traffic density!

The Councillors on the Committee were invited to comment.

Councillor Cathy Pearcy said that she had visited the pub recently and it was very busy and “thriving”. She argued that local residents “deserve” to have a facility like this near them. She said
“I do not believe the other community facilities mentioned in the report are easily accessible for residents on the estate”.
She also said she was very unhappy with an old building being pulled down. Pearcy went on to highlight the access issues, and noted that the Planning Committee struggled to get onto the estate in their mini-bus. She argued that members (and indeed residents) should be very concerned if a fire engine needed access.

Another Councillor said that they were very concerned how close the new buildings would be to the existing properties.

Another Councillor said that they were very concerned about a comment made by Planning Officer Martin Morris about the proposed development being a “tight development” and that this strongly suggests overdevelopment and overbearing.

The Vice Chair of the Planning Committee said that he was very concerned with the application, and said that this new style of development will be an over development of the site. He also highlighted the lack of amenity space, and concerns over the proximity to existing houses.

Another Councillor said that at the site visit she felt the site was very claustrophobic.

The Chief of Planning told the Committee
“this application meets all requirements”
And said that if Councillors vote to reject it and the developers appeal, there would be a potential cost to the tax-payer. The audience jeered loudly and many audience members shouted “blackmail” in response.
After the meeting, several PAG members said that his behaviour was disgraceful.

The Councillors then voted to REJECT the planning application amidst a burst of applause and celebration from the audience.

After the meeting Planning Officer Martin Morris approached PAG member Sue Rawlinson and said:
“Congratulations on a very entertaining campaign”.
Why thank you Mr Morris.

The Charles Church Rep also spoke to Sue Rawlinson and said
“Congratulations”.
“Do you think they’ll appeal?” replied Sue.
“I’ll need to consult with my client”
“Tell them to bugger off. We’ll fight them to the end of the earth” Sue told the Rep.
“I’ll pass the message on”

PAG will be holding a celebration party at the Inn very soon….check back for details.

YOU ALL DESERVE A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT.....

THANK YOU!

However, the fight is not over. The developers might appeal.....please check back for details.

Planning Committee - THIS WEDNESDAY - 2PM - CITY HALL

The Planning Application will be heard at the Planning Committee meeting this Wednesday 16th April at the City Hall at 2pm. Please come along and show your support.

PANTMAWR DEVELOPMENT - NO, NO, NO!

PANTMAWR ON ITV!

We're on the telly!

ITV Wales visited the Pantmawr Inn to cover our campaign. Click here or copy and paste the following into your address bar.

http://www.itvlocal.com/wales/?player=WAL_HomePage_15&void=174839

Echo reports site visit! Balloons lift protesters’ pub demo to a new level!

Story in today's Echo, by Laura Wright.

"A PROTEST group made sure that a council planning committee had plenty to see when they made a site visit to a threatened pub.
Plans have gone before Cardiff council to replace the Pantmawr Inn, in Pantmawr, Cardiff, with flats. But residents have fought the plans from the outset and even set up a naked protest to make sure they were noticed.
This time round, up to 300 people turned up at the pub for the planning committee site visit to show their objections with visual aids yesterday.
About 40 helium balloons demonstrated the height and area of the flats and several signs around the area pointed towards the community’s protest.
Rachel Thomas, of the Pantmawr Action Group, said: “The balloons were very useful because it’s hard to imagine how tall a building is going to be and its effect on the area. Our signs showed how close the flats would be to houses and that the pub is used as a community facility.
“Children play on the grass outside the pub and, if that goes, the nearest park is two and a half kilometres away.
“We’re very pleased with the turnout especially with the sleet, hail and rain.”"

Hundreds brave the rain for the Site Visit

Yesterday the Council's Planning Committee visited the Pantmawr Inn site to get a better understanding of the issues facing the planning application. Local residents turned out in force to show the Planning Committee the strength of opposition to the proposals. Lead by Chairman Bob Derbyshire the Planning Committee looked at three locations around the site.



Jonathan Morgan AM came along to show his support.

The Planning Application states that the entrance to the site is 7.5m wide, however, PAG's civil engineer has measured the entrance as 6.8m, so we showed the Planning Committee this with a giant tape measure!

The Planning Application will now be considered at the next Planning Committee meeting on 16th April at Cardiff's City Hall. Please check back here for details.

SITE VISIT - TODAY

Cardiff Council Planning Committee will be coming to the Pantmawr Inn today at 4.30pm to establish for themselves what impact the proposed development will have on the estate. It is VITAL we show these people that the Pantmawr Inn is a community centre and not just a pub. To prove that Pantmawr residents care about the community, we MUST attend the Inn on mass at 4pm. The more support we have the greater the chance this development will fail. (In recent applications where mass support has occurred permission has been declined). Please note that today we cannot speak to the Planning Committee directly, however, our local Councillors will speak for us. IF YOU LIVE IN THE AREA, PLEASE ENSURE YOU HAVE A POSTER DISPLAYED IN THE WINDOW OR IN YOUR GARDEN AS THEY WILL BE TOURING THE ESTATE.

So please leave work early, bring the family and your friends and let's show these Councillors we really care about our community - we don't want to see the Pantmawr Inn pulled down and we certainly don't want an overcrowded housing development. This is YOUR last chance to stop this development. Need another poster? Require more information? Need a car sticker? Contact savepantmawr@hotmail.co.uk or visit the website http://www.savepantmawr.org/

Pantmawr Site Visit

The Planning Committee will be holding a site visit at Pantmawr on 7th April 2008 at 4.30pm. The Council has agreed a Code of Practice in respect of such site visits - see below.


Planning Applications : Code of Practice for Site Visits
By the Planning Committee

1. Sometimes Members of the Planning Committee need to visit a site to help them make a decision on a planning application. These visits are an extension of the Committee meeting to enable Members to make a visual assessment of the site and its surroundings.

2. When a site visit is required the Development Control Section of Regulatory Services notifies the owner, if access to the premises is necessary.

3. Where sites are small, or access poor, and where planning issues are of limited interest, attendance at meetings is restricted to Councillors and Council officers only.

4. Where sites are large and with good access and where there is wide public interest in an application, attendance at meetings is open to all interested parties, including the public.

5. The owner of large sites is advised that although he and his agent may be present at the site visit, it is not an opportunity to make representations to Councillors. This does not prevent the applicant or his advisers pointing out factual matters such as the height of the proposed buildings or the position of a window. Similar advice is given to any other interested parties present.

6. For large site visits, the County Planning Department notifies those who have submitted written objections to the applications. However, where a petition of objection has been lodged, only one of the petitioners is notified. Objectors are notified that the Council cannot require an applicant to allow objectors onto his land and that their ability to attend the site visit is at the discretion of the applicant. Objectors are advised that the site visit is not an opportunity to make representations to Councillors, but that factual matters may be pointed out.

7. At the start of a large site visit, the planning officer explains to all persons present that :

(i) the purpose of the visit is to enable Councillors to see the site to enable them to consider and determine the planning application;

(ii) the visit is not the opportunity for interested parties to lobby Councillors to support or oppose the application;

(iii) if there are matters of fact, for example the height of the proposed building or the position of a window, that interested parties feel have not been indicated by the planning officer, they are able to indicate these or request that Councillors consider the site from a particular position;

(iv) interested parties should put any representations in writing to the Development Control Section of Regulatory Services prior to the application being considered at a meeting of the Planning Committee or Council, whichever is relevant;

(v) interested parties may discuss the matter with Local Members prior to the meeting at which the application is to be considered, and be informed that the names, addresses and telephone numbers of Local Councillors are available.

8. At the end of a large site visit, the Planning Officer will formally close the visit and explain to the members of the public present, the next stage in the procedure.



Approved November 1991
Amended April & August 1993
And November 1997

PAG turn out in force at the Planning Committee

After the Pantmawr Action Group turned out in force at Cardiff's City Hall, the Council's Planning Committee have decided to have a site visit before making a decision on the Planning Application.

The site visit will take place on 7th April at 4.30pm.

The Welsh Assembly Government is considering plans to support the Prince Charles-backed scheme that helps regenerate rural pubs.

The Welsh Assembly Government is considering plans to support the Prince Charles-backed scheme that helps regenerate rural pubs. Pub is the Hub has submitted a draft plan to the Assembly suggesting how it can help pubs diversify and offer new income streams.
This follows a year-long study by a 17-strong regional Pub is the Hub advisory group, chaired by SA Brains chief executive Scott Waddington.
It includes other pub company bosses and Elin Jones, Welsh Minister for Rural Affairs.
The draft plan, Rural Pubs and Services Strategy for Wales, suggests how different projects should be supported in different Welsh regions.
It urges against pubs being hit by big business rate hikes for adding vital new services.
The ultimate aim is to secure funding from the Welsh Assembly, mirroring action by regional development agencies in England.
Pub is the Hub co-ordinator John Longden (pictured) said: “They’ve tapped into our five years of experience with Pub is the Hub and asked how we can help in Wales.
“We will sit down with the Welsh Assembly Government and hopefully move forward with projects that suit the various locations across Wales.”
Post Office closures
A Welsh Assembly spokesman confirmed the development.
“The Welsh Assembly Government is already looking at the Pub is the Hub initiative,” he said.
“We welcome any proposals that help keep our communities alive and vibrant.”
Last week Welsh Assembly member Nick Bourne called for Pub is the Hub to be active in response to the closure of rural post offices.
He told the Assembly: “Our post offices and other local services are facing extinction. The country pub is disappearing as well in many areas.
“We have a great opportunity here. Not only will this secure the future of essential services in our communities, it will bring together many sections of society.”

PAG hits the headlines again!

Help us to keep our community

HOW daft can council officers be? Planning policy suggests that communities should be encouraged and amenities provided. Yet our council is about to deprive more than 1,000 Pantmawr residents of their amenity by allowing a development of more houses and flats and therefore more residents on the site of the Pantmawr Inn. We have a thriving community spirit with many activities centred on the pub and its environs, but if it is built over, we will have nowhere to go, our community spirit will be lost.

Surely this goes against local authority and Government guidelines and initiatives? We have always been a neglected part of north Cardiff. The roads are narrow and in a terrible state.

We have problems with drains and water pressure, bus services are infrequent and we have no other amenities, but what makes it worthwhile is knowing and meeting lots of friendly people. How will this be possible without a venue, our village pub?

We have sent in a petition with more than 1,000 signatures and more than 100 objection letters to show the many problems with this development, all of which seem to have been ignored.

Also, do we really need more flats in Cardiff?

Come on councillors, don't take our community centre away from us, throw this outrageous, carbuncle of a development out and help us to keep our community together.

Pantmawr resident

Letter from a Pantmawr resident

Many Pantmawr residents have written to the Planning Committee to air their opinions on the plans. Below is a letter from one resident.

Dear Planning Committee,

To my amazement I found out this week that the Planning Officers report has now been received and it RECOMMENDS that the application is GRANTED!!

This development is not in the interests of the community of Pantmawr or The City of Cardiff. It is driven solely by greed!

When the Pantmawr estate was built in the 1950s, the planners were, by circumstance, ahead of the current environmental thinking. They ensured bus services, local shops (now sadly all gone) and a social amenity in the heritage buildings were provided to meet the needs of the estate residents without the need for car journeys. Global warming is clearly, in the very near future, going to drive us back to this type of more localised amenity planning. In the Pantmawr Inn, chosen as the preferred social amenity by estate residents in the 1950s, you already have the sort of localised amenity that future planning will strive to revive. This is the opportunity for the planning of Cardiff to be environmentally forward thinking and community aware by REJECTING the redevelopment.The main detailed points to consider are :1. Traffic density, narrow and inadequate access roads make the site totally unsuitable for the plans. The current appalling state of the roads on the estate will no doubt deteriorate even more.2. Removal will lead to more traffic on the VERY BADLY maintained roads on the estate as residents are forced to travel to distant alternatives not to mention the increased traffic from the proposed 60 bedrooms that will be created. Which will only have limited parking spaces, some of which I believe are located in front of garages! Which in today's society where households have two cars is inadequate. When I extended my previous property the council requested that I made allowance for two cars to be parked on my drive so why shouldn't this development have to provide a car parking space per bedroom to allow a realistic capacity for residents and visitors?3. I also have concerns regarding the height and mass of the development, the density of dwellings, parking, and the ‘type’ of dwellings – which are completely out of character of the existing estate. The amended plans also exclude facilities for the disabled and elderly, with the entrance to one section of flats straight off a section of grass.
4. I like many other estate residents frequent the Inn on a regular basis, several times a week. It is our ONLY local social amenity, it is the focus of our community (we have no local shops or other facilities left) and it would be a major loss were it to go.5. It is surprising to me that the building has never been given a heritage designation, the question should be asked why not? The old out building would also be perfect for developing into community related buildings, a restaurant, small hotel, shops, arts centre or other such, more appropriate, related business's.
6. If the property is turned into flats then I will have to increase my carbon footprint by using some form of fossil fuel burning transport to visit another public house in the area. This is not really in keeping with the council or government plans to reduce CO2 emissions.
7. Any move to change the use of this site for housing or flats would be a disaster and morally WRONG! Surely working with the current land owners, The Arts Council of Wales and local people to create an Arts centre for North Cardiff would be a far better plan.

Hopefully I don't have to remind you of your duties as councillors but your constitution says......................
2.3 Roles and functions of all Councillors(a) Key roles.All Councillors will:
(i) collectively be the ultimate policy-makers and carry out a number of strategic functions;
(ii) represent their communities and bring their views into the Authority’s decision-making process, i.e. become the advocate of and for their communities;
(iii) deal with individual casework and act as an advocate for constituents in
resolving particular concerns or grievances;
(iv) seek to balance different interests identified within the ward and represent the ward as a whole;
(v) contribute to the continual improvement of council services through the Wales Improvement Programme;
(vi) be involved in decision-making;
(vii) be available to represent the Authority on other bodies; and(viii) maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics.

The very concept of destroying the only meeting place for the community in Pantmawr goes against so many of these principles! Please act with a sense of social responsibility when you consider your decision!

Everyday on the news we hear about councils and governments trying to fight "antisocial behaviour" and build a greater "sense of community" and "britishness". Well here you have a focal point where the community come together. We are not talking about a brown field site here, it is a beautiful building with a green and pleasant garden, the only "public" green space on the estate.

Without the Pantmawr the soul will be ripped from the estate.

Please, Please, Please think carefully before giving in to commercial pressures and granting this application. I am MD of a company in Cardiff myself and I therefore appreciate the needs of the commercial world. But all things in life need to be in balance!
I look forward to common sense prevailing and this totally inappropriate change of usage and planning application being REJECTED.
Your Sincerely,

Pantmawr Resident

The Planning Committee decide...

The Planning Committee have met and decided to have a site visit. This is excellent news as it means the Commitee will come along to the site, and have a look at what the plans will mean for the area.

The site visit will go ahead on 7th April.

More news coming soon....

Local Councillors latest thoughts...

Local independant Cllrs Jayne Cowan and Adrian Robson have made their latest thoughts known to Martin Morris in the Planning department at the Council. Here's what they had to say:

Pantmawr thoughts:

1) Paragraph 7.3. It is worth noting that approx 495 people resident in Pantmawr have signed the petition and that there are only approx 510 properties in Pantmawr.

2) The Operational Manager for Transportation makes no comment in paragraph 5.6 about the width of the driveway which is a matter of great concern to many objectors. We would request that this issue is specifically examined should a site visit be granted by the Planning Committee.

3) We are disappointed that the Planning Officer has given attention to the comments as stated in section 8.6. The issues relating to the licence application were some years ago and this issue should be treated as a separate matter, just as every planning application is treated as a separate matter. The comments which are in the Supplementary Planning Statement on behalf of Charles Church Developments limited, which are repeated in subsection 1 of this para 8.6 suggest that the applicant does not believe that residents should have the right to make a representation on an application, whether that be licensing or planning if they have made comments on what is a completely separate matter. The repetition of this in this planning report suggests that this is condoned.
Additionally the comment relating to the recent increase in visitor number as “short term” is short sighted by the applicant.

Cllr Jayne Cowan & Cllr Adrian Robson