Eleven Cardiff parks and green spaces will now be protected areas dedicated to the public for play, sports and outdoor activities.
Almost 70% of Cardiff residents will soon live within walking distance of a public green space that is protected by law from sale or commercial development.
Cardiff Council cabinet has agreed to enter 11 city parks into a ‘deed of dedication’ with the UK charity Fields of Trust, keeping them safe for public outdoor leisure or recreation even if future planning laws or council policies change.
Councillor Jen Burke, Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport & Parks said the move reflects the council’s, “ongoing commitment to preserving parks and green spaces in perpetuity, recognising their essential role in the health, well-being and enjoyment of our communities.”
Ten council-owned sites in Cardiff are already protected under these arrangements. The new sites approved for protection are Caerleon Park, Cemetery Park, Craiglee Drive, Fairwater Park, Hailey Park, Heol Llanishen Fach, Parc Waun Fach, Rhydypenau Park, Sanatorium Park, Trelai Park, and Westfield Park.
A deed of dedication is a legal agreement between the Cardiff Council and Fields in Trust, which works to protect and promote the public use of parks and green spaces. Ownership and maintenance of the sites remain with the council, but the charity must give consent for any building or developments unrelated to sports or leisure.
Councillor Burke said, “What Fields in Trust does is protect [against] development of a commercial variety. It ensures that we are not building a block of flats on [these parks].”
The move follows a public consultation on the plan earlier this year in which 95% of respondents expressed support for the proposal. Four sites were enjoyed by nearly a quarter of the 906 respondents while 86.6% used at least one of the 11 sites.
The new sites were identified using criteria from Cardiff Council and Fields in Trust. They include areas in communities with limited green space access and higher levels of poverty.
There are no current council plans to extend the partnership beyond 21 areas but local government officers confirmed they would be open to future suggestions.
Council leader Huw Thomas said, “Cardiff wouldn’t be Cardiff without its parks and green spaces – they’re vital places for play and social wellbeing, they connect us with the nature on our doorsteps, support biodiversity, improve the quality of the air we all breathe and can help mitigate some of the worst effects of climate change.”