Cardiff Parkway Station Approval Delayed: Council Leader Calls It 'Indefensible'

Delays in the approval process for the new Cardiff Parkway mainline station have sparked outrage from the city’s council leader, Huw Thomas, who calls the situation “inexplicable” and “indefensible”. Cardiff’s Labour council granted planning permission for the station and its accompanying business park in St Mellons in April 2022, but by October of the same year, the project had been called in for a review by the Welsh government, leaving the community in what Thomas describes as a state of ‘limbo’.

The proposed Cardiff Parkway station aims to enhance transportation in the eastern Cardiff area, while the business park has faced scrutiny from campaigners concerned about potential threats to local biodiversity. During discussions in the Senedd, First Minister Eluned Morgan acknowledged the lengthy delay in processing the application but the completion of further government planning checks has postponed a final decision yet again.

In a letter to Morgan, Thomas emphasized the negative impact of the prolonged delay on the community and the local economy, urging her to prioritize the project’s decision-making process. With a minority stake in the project, the Welsh government is currently consulting with various stakeholders about the development, professing to consider all representations before reaching a verdict. The Roberts family, one of the stakeholders, believes the latest requirements from the planning department will be manageable, signaling hope that the project may soon transition from approval to delivery.