Members of the Welsh Norwegian Society say they feel they’ve been treated like “neglected children” following the council’s plans to lease the Norwegian church to a commercial tenant.
The society works to create links between Cardiff and Norway, and members say they fear that a new tenant won’t appreciate the building’s history and status.
The Save The Norwegian Campaign, which aims to stop the council leasing the building, has now reached more than 5000 signatures.
The group says the council isn’t engaging with them. Christine Glossop, who’s been a member of the society for more than 25 years, says “As a society we feel very let down and disappointed”, says Glossop. There are many local businesses currently trading in the building, who won’t be able to continue when the church is taken over. “We don’t feel we can trust a commercial company” she says.
The council has responded to these claims by saying they hope to secure a tenant who will value the church’s heritage. “We need to look at new ways of funding the operation as it is operating at a loss” says the council.
There was even talk of the church turning into a Mcdonalds. Cardiff Council says this will not be happening, and the church will be leased to a suitable tenant. “There has been some misreporting in the media on this so we do want to be clear that there are no plans to hand the building over to any fast-food outlets”.
It is said the new tenant will start operating in April of 2020.