South Wales Metro work will cause noise, pollution and the loss of a football ground say protesters
RESIDENTS of Radyr and Morganstown are concerned about the impact on the local area of work to build the new South Wales Metro scheme.
Talks are ongoing between Cardiff Council and Transport for Wales (TfW) about plans to use Mound Field in Morganstown as a work compound for vehicles and materials that will be used in the first phase of the Metro project.
When complete, the Metro project will result in four trains per hour on the Valleys routes to Aberdare, Treherbert and Merthyr which run through Radyr. In addition, Radyr will see 24 trains per hour leave its station.
Improvement work on the line north of Radyr means bus replacements are currently provided for onward travel on the three valley line services from 8pm to 5am.
Radyr and Morganstown Community Council are lobbying for working practices that cause the minimum disruption to those living nearby.
Kieran Webster, a Councillor at Radyr and Morganstown Community Council (RMCC), said that night-time work is “unacceptable and inappropriate for a residential area”.
At the November RMCC Meeting, Councillor Julia Charles said: “People’s quality of life is going to be impacted by this.”
One resident from Morganstown, who told the meeting that she lives near the Taff Trail, described how she was “appalled” at TfW’s handling of the situation and accused them of not communicating sufficiently with local people.
The proposal to use Mound Field as a work compound, which requires agreement from Cardiff Council, has provoked strong feeling among Morganstown residents.
According to TfW, having a work compound at Mound Field will allow the engineers to have easy access to the railway line and will be used to build a new bridge to replace the level crossing.
Huw Jones, Chair of RMCC, claims the level crossing will no longer be viable once the South Wales Metro is complete due to the increase in the number of trains.
Community Councillor Kieran Webster is questioning the need for the bridge and has suggested that TfW use a brownfield site as a base for their vehicles instead
Mound Field is owned by Cardiff Council, so TfW must come to a lease agreement with them to use it.
Mound Field is located near Gelynis Farm and Pugh’s and is used by Radyr Rangers Football Club who have over 300 members, ranging from reception age to adult teams
Club chairman Ben Robinson said: “We have been supported by our local community and county councillors and hope to continue with this moving forward.”
In discussions, Cardiff Council are proposing that TfW provide Radyr Rangers with a new club house as part of the lease agreement, but no final decisions have been made.
Rod McKerlich, Lord Mayor and Cardiff Councillor for Radyr and Morganstown, said the project provides an important opportunity to improve the football club’s facilities.
Chairman Ben Robinson added: “We feel that the young people of Morganstown and Radyr would benefit from an improvement to the facilities at the site in the long term.
“We would gratefully welcome investment that helps to provide football to as many people as possible in the future and provide a solid foundation for the club.”
A spokesperson for TfW said: “We continue to engage and listen with the local community and stakeholders regarding draft plans for work in Radyr and Morganstown.
“We have already listened, learned and incorporated the views of the community into our plans, for example by redesigning the transformation compound so the footprint is smaller and has less of an impact on nearby fields, and we will shortly be contacting residents with further opportunities to provide feedback.
“TfW is committed to working with care and consideration for our neighbours and we aim to keep disruption to a minimum.”
TfW are investing £250 million to upgrade the railway lines to Aberdare, Coryton, Merthyr Tydfil, Rhymney and Treherbert.
The South Wales Metro project includes electrifying the line and modernising Radyr station, plus replacing diesel trains with new electric trains. A virtual tour of the new trains is available.
TfW says the South Wales Metro will make it easier for people to travel across the region, transforming rail and bus services as well as cycling and walking.
A public meeting for residents of Radyr and Morganstown is being held on 15 December via Zoom. Details of the meeting can be accessed by emailing morganstownward@gmail.com
According to Councillor Kieran Webster, residents who are not online will have the opportunity to meet locally and take part.
