Campaigners and locals fighting to save the Northern meadows in Cardiff will hold a protest tomorrow, Saturday 11th July, to highlight the importance of the natural area which they say is a green oasis in a busy, growing city.
They will meet at 10am at Whitchurch Common, and are asking people to bring flags and placards. They will then walk to the Northern Meadows to hold a rally at 12 noon.
The Northern Meadows is a large area of wildlife and green space in North Cardiff, next to the old Glamorgan canal and right next to the Hollybush estate, containing over 230 flats whose residents use the meadows and nature reserve as their only garden and access to outdoor space
Cardiff ranks low on the UK green spaces league table – having just 8% of publicly accessible green space compared with 15.6% in Birmingham and 13.5% in Glasgow – and campaigners say the city cannot afford to lose yet more of the open space its citizens depend on for health.
The area is under threat after it was announced that Velindre cancer hospital plans to build a new centre on the meadows, but protesters say a nearby brownfield site would be more appropriate.
They say the reason the brownfield site is not being used is that it has already been earmarked by a property developer, and that this comes down to profit and ring fencing prime land for residential development. They say the original Velindre proposal was intended for a site different to the meadows, and demand that these plans be revived.
“This is not a fight to stop a cancer hospital. It is to stop the destruction of beautiful and environmentally and socially critical green space.” said one campaigner.
Two groups – Cardiff Civic Society and Save the Northern Meadows campaign – have joined forces to urge the Velindre Cancer Centre to find another location for the hospital.
“Green space is vitally important for the urban population, and is known to help reduce anxiety, depression and stress, and to help speed up recovery from serious illness,” says Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, chair of Cardiff Civic Society.
“If the cancer hospital is moved to an alternative, less damaging site, then it is a win-win situation, where a new hospital can be created, and the meadows, along with some 600 trees, can be saved for the benefits of Cardiff’s people.
“Given that both the Welsh Government and Cardiff Council have declared a Climate Emergency, building on green space cannot be justified”
Campaigners also believe that the meadows is a poor site to build on regardless – a proposed access route will cost £27m.
Despite Cardiff’s population being poorly served for green space, the city’s open land is being constantly encroached upon, with the Northern Meadows, Sanatorium Park and Britannia Park all under threat.
The issue also questions about the use of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, which when it was passed was heralded as ground-breaking. The act supposedly requires public bodies in Wales to consider the long-term impact of their decisions, to work better with people, communities and each other, and to work to prevent persistent problems such as poverty, health inequalities and tackle climate change.
However, five years down the line, communities in Cardiff are still having to campaign to protect their precious green spaces, spaces that provide the very well-being the act is supposed to protect.
Tessa Marshall of the Save the Northern Meadows campaign, said:
“More than 11,000 people have signed our petition to save this green lung in the heart of the city. Even many staff at the current Velindre Hospital believe that building on the meadows is wrong. If the hospital authorities won’t see how important it is to find another location, then we call upon the Welsh Government to call in the plans immediately.”
Everyone who wishes to Save the Northern Meadows is invited to lodge their objection to two planning applications – 20/01110/MJR and 20/01108/MJR – before the 16 July 2020.
The protests will take place tomorrow, Saturday 11thJuly, at 10am Whitchurch Common, and a rally will also be held at the Northern Meadows at 12 noon.
