The latest Public Inquiry concluded on the 19th of August, and the Planning Inspector is writing his recommendation to the Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, Mr John Griffiths AM, who will make the final decision next Spring.
The reservoir was listed by the Welsh Government in 2009 as a critical element of one of Wales’s most important civic and civil engineering achievements of the 19th Century, the Taff Fawr to Cardiff water supply scheme. It is one of Wales’ largest listed buildings. There is a presumption in planning law to protect listed buildings and their setting from actions that could damage their special significance and character. A listed reservoir structure only makes sense if the structure actually impounds water. RAG and Cardiff Council argued that to drain the reservoir and build a housing estate inside its basin would destroy the relevance of its historical significance as well as its wider setting within the Nant Fawr green corridor.
Although the reservoir was temporally drained in 2010/11 for maintenance inspections, the Council have a legally binding lease for sailing training on the water. A clause empowers the Council to have the reservoir refilled by rainfall once the maintenance inspection is complete. However, although the inspection was completed in November 2010, the drain valve remains open.
It is vital that the Council reconfirms publicly that it has never had a policy to abandon sailing at Llanishen, and exercises its right under its lease to have the drain valve closed so that re-filling commences. Therefore, please visit our Take Action! page to take part in our vital letter writing campaign to support the Council, who have a budget set aside to start reinstating the sailing centre, and show the strength of feeling there is to protect our reservoir, again, to our representatives.