Wales round-up: Major Cardiff office district and rail station gathers momentum; PPW to be amended to stimulate housebuiding

Major Cardiff office district and rail station gathers momentum

An outline planning application for the Cardiff Parkway project at St Mellons, with a new station and initially about 84,000 square metres of commercial floor space, is expected to be submitted to the city council next spring.

The Planner

PPW to be amended to stimulate housebuiding

Welsh housing and local government minister Julie James has launched a consultation on changing the housing delivery section of Planning Policy Wales (PPW).

The Planner

RTPI launches mental health training resource

The RTPI has launched a free online training resource to give planners a better understanding of the link between good planning and mental health.

The Planner

Wrexham LDP affordable homes row

Members of Wrexham County Borough Council are at loggerheads over moves to reduce the number of affordable homes that developers will have to provide under the local authority’s emerging local development plan.

BBC News

Colwyn Bay homes site move

Conwy County Borough Council is inviting ‘expressions of interest’ in Ty Mawr, Llysfaen, near Colwyn Bay, a 15-hectare farmland site that has the potential for 235 new homes.

Wales Online

Progress for rail testing facility

Plans for an international  rail rolling-stock testing facility at the site of an existing opencast mine near Ystradglynlais have taken a step forward with the submission of an environmental scoping report by Arup on behalf of the Welsh Government.

Insider Media

Torfaen solar power project

Wessex Solar Energy has unveiled plans for a 25-megawatt solar farm on land near New Inn, Torfaen.

Insider Media

Speed limits curb air pollution

Emissions of nitrogen dioxide have reduced at five locations on the motorway and trunk road network where 50mph speed limits were introduced, a report has shown.

Welsh Government

Alternatives to M4 relief road panel named

The membership of the seven-person South East Wales Transport Commission, established following the decision not to proceed with the M4 Relief Road, has been named by the Welsh Government.

Welsh Government

Tourist boost for Carmarthenshire economy

Carmarthenshire’s tourism economy is now worth £441million to the local economy, an independent report has revealed.

Carmarthenshire County Council

Ruthin egg production scheme faces block

Proposals to build a major egg production unit at a farm in Ruthin, Denbighshire, have been recommended for refusal because of the scheme’s environmental impact.

Insider Media

Mid Wales growth deal talks

Following the UK Government’s announcement of a £55 million investment in a Mid Wales growth deal, Welsh secretary Alun Cairns met with the leaders of Powys and Ceredigion county councils, together with members of the region’s private sector, to discuss greater business involvement in the initiative.

UK Government

Green infrastructure strategy proposed for Swansea city centre

The city council has published a draft Swansea city centre green infrastructure strategy for public consultation.

Swansea City Council

Rare orchid spotted at Mid-Wales nature reserve

An extremely rare orchid called Irish Lady’s-Tresses, unknown elsewhere in Wales or England, has appeared on a mid-Wales nature reserve managed by Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Natural Resources Wales

Funding for Llantrisant business park

Over £3.8 million support from the EU, the government and Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is to fund a new business park near Llantrisant on a 15-hectare brownfield site which will provide 2,787 square metres of modern industrial floor space.

Welsh Government

Empty properties report from AM committee

Empty properties are a blight on communities and more should be done to bring them back into use, according to a report from the Welsh Assembly’s Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee, which highlighted problems with the existing enforcement regime.

Welsh Assembly