CADW has told RAG that the listing of the reservoir structure is not a preservation order and owners of listed buildings are under no obligation to maintain them to a prescribed standard. However the Council can serve a statutory notice to WPD if it has concerns over the state of the listed structure or "believes that a building is being deliberately damaged." The statutory notice is just one of the "necessary steps" that Cardiff Council should now take in order to ensure that the reservoir embankments remain in sound condition so that it can retain water and the reservoir be re-filled . So the petition (to the right of your screen) is now more important than ever. Councillor Phil Bale will be checking how many signatures there are as he is still hoping to meet with PPL (WPD) executives despite their initial refusal. The recent pictures show the dreadful state the embankments are in now and so former Cyncoed Councillor Anne Gee organised the petition to persuade Cardiff Council to urgently refill the reservoir before permanent damage is done.
Anne says "We understand that PPL has 6 nature reserves in its own backyard, so why not create one here? My husband and I went on a walk recently with the community park ranger and enjoyed the Nant Fawr woods and meadows but were really shocked at the state of the reservoir which has trees growing in the listed embankments. Nothing seems to be done about it, we want the reservoir re-filled so the excellent sailing facility can be up and running again. It was very popular with over 5,000 bookings on the courses between April 2004 and April 2005, so that's why we got the petition started. Local people have given the petition their full support and I have been encouraged and impressed by the strength of feeling. I was able to give this information to Councillor Bale before his trip together with the recent photos. These show a marked deterioration in the structure of this Ancient Monument which has been listed by CADW. The vegetation is damaging the stone work as it has been left empty since 2010 when it was drained for inspection purposes. This could soon be remedied if it was allowed to refill, so we are trying to get the Council to do this without any more delay. We already have over 1000 who have signed the petition on the RAG website as well as nearly 500 signatures on forms left in various locations.
This is an issue that has always had cross party support, Eluned Parrot AM recently asked a question about the re-filling in the Assembly, and Councillors Kate Lloyd and David Walker are collecting signatures for the petition which is to be presented to Council in September, as we want to see it returned to its former glory as soon as possible. We are investigating possible funding streams, such as Sports Wales, Heritage Lottery, business sponsorship and trust funds since we are aware of the financial constraints of the Council. Cardiff's ever expanding population and the proposed housing development to the north of this area will put even more pressure on the vital green lungs of the city, they are precious and should be protected."
