Save Rumney Recreation Ground & Eastern Leisure Centre

RREELACTION GROUP

NEWS IN BRIEF - SEPT 2009

1. Awaiting a Determination by Welsh Assembly

On 20th March the Council posted Statutory Notices of its intention to close the Rumney and Llanrumney High Schools and to provide Secondary education for the districts of Rumney, Llanrumney, Trowbridge and St. Mellons in a new 1500/1650 pupil school at Rumney Recreation Ground. The notices came just seven weeks after a local Referendum had overwhelmingly rejected any building development on the Recreation Ground.

RREEL expressed its objections to the Council's proposal in a 147-page colour printed dossier. The dossier and copies of 1300 letters of objection, written by local residents, were presented to the Council on 19th May. On 19th June the Council submitted its report and response to objections received to the Welsh Assembly.

The Assembly is currently in Summer recess, returning on 20th September. We have received a communication, from Lorraine Barrett AM, advising that it is unlikely the Minister for Education and Lifelong Learning, Jane Hutt AM, will make a Determination before the late Autumn or early winter.

2. Misrepresentation by theCouncil

RREEL continues to expose the deceit, withholding of, and misrepresentation of facts by the Council surrounding its proposal. The Council retained the original copy of RREEL's dossier, which was hardbound and in colour. Instead, they chose to downgrade our presentation by supplying the Assembly with a black andwhite photocopy. To counteract this, RREEL submitted 8 original hardbound, colour copies to various Members of the Assembly Government.

The Council's feeble 22 page report, responding to our objections, failed to answer the principal points raised in the RREEL dossier and by your letters. It obstructed public access to the report for seven weeks following its date of delivery to the Welsh Assembly.

a.

Its Environmental and Sustainability Reports were cobbled together just three days prior to its delivery to the Welsh Assembly. These are essential reports that should have been prepared two years ago. They remain incomplete and in draft form.

b.

Having misrepresented the total number of objections received in its earlier Consultation reports, this latest report again fails to adequately record the numbers of objection letters received and signed for.

c.

In July, RREEL submitted a supplementary objection to the Assembly in response to the Council's revelation that land in St. Mellons, earmarked for a school, had not been mentioned in the stakeholder consultation procedure in 2007. Money from the sale of this land was never identified in the financial models for schools reorganisation. The recent report only states that a "contribution" of capital raised from the sale of the St. Mellons site will go to east Cardiff. There is no explanation of which wards will receive the money. We have been advised that the Assembly will take our supplementary information into consideration.

d.

The Council maintains that a letter issued following a Conference of School Headmasters in Cardiff in March supports the building of the new school on the Recreation Ground. RREEL pushed for publication of this letter and it became clear that the Council had misrepresented its content. The letter only welcomed the investment in a new school and the selection of a neutral site.

This is the appalling, non democratic record of a Council that claims to be open and transparent.

The Council have nowpublished its formal response to the Assembly on its website. Anyonewishing to receive a paper copy can do so by writing to Mr Chris Jones, Cardiff City Council, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff.

You are entitled to receive a copy and we strongly urge you to do so.

3. IN THE NEWS

The Open Spaces Society recently published a press release.

Alun Michael MP described the proposed development as an act of "civic vandalism" and is backing RREEL's campaign to get Rumney Recreation Ground designated as a Village Green. Preparatory work on an application is proceeding. Further support came from Fields In Trust supporting RREEL's campaign to save the Recreation Ground.

Fields In Trust (formally the Welsh Playing Fields Association), which also published a press release supporting our Campaign.

In early August, RREEL were interviewed by Radio Wales and our objections to the Council plans broadcast.

Both Labour and Conservative parties are preparing for the coming national elections. Candidates have visited the Recreation Ground and had photographs taken for publicity purposes. RREEL ARE A NON-POLITICAL ORGANISATION, but we welcome any opportunity to be involved with publicity to preserve the Recreation Ground.

Staying in the news is vital to maintaining interest and support. Several people have had letters published in the "South Wales Echo". You too can help by writing to Viewpoints.

Recent publicity concerning land development states that 1500 homes are planned at Bridge Road, St. Mellons. Another 2000 homes are proposed at the rear of Trowbridge and Rumney up to the railway line. The Council's only consideration for building the new school on Rumney Recreation Ground is that the existing school land can be sold and given over to planned housing developments. This means that three fields representing approximately 70 acres of greenery will be lost. Taking this recently published information into account also indicates that the Council's proposal of building a new school on rumney Recreation Ground planned for 1650 pupils, would be totally inadequate for the needs of these proposed expanded communities.

A Royal Invitation

Don & Denise Taylor (Chair & Secretary of RREEL) were invited to attend a Queen's Garden Party at Buckingham Palace on 21 July. They were nominated under the "Community" section to represent Llanrumney, Rumney, Trowbridge & St Mellons in recognition of the public effort and support these communities have put into the campaign. Whilst at the garden party they conveyed our campaign to members of the Royal party and they were interviewed by Associated Press.