Save Rumney Recreation Ground & Eastern Leisure Centre

=============

Plaid Cymru – The Party of Wales

Chris Franks AC/AM 

Canol De Cymru / South Wales Central

  

Jane Hutt AM

Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills

National Assembly for Wales

Cardiff Bay

Cardiff

CF99 1NA

6 November 2009

Dear

RE: Rumney Recreational Ground.

I have met with concerned residents of Llanrumney and Rumney regarding the loss of the Rumney recreational ground if Cardiff Council’s plans to develop the land for educational purposes proceed. The representatives have strenuously objected to these proposals.

There are a huge number of reasons to oppose the County Council’s plans. However they boil down to a few key issues. These include:-

Environmental. The recreational ground is the major green space serving this part of Cardiff. This site, with its mature trees, is highly regarded by the community.

Traffic. The site is bounded by the A48 and numerous residential streets. The highway network does not have the capacity to cope with the additional demand created by a secondary school. There are also safety fears given the relatively narrow roads in the area.

Social. The recreational ground is a great unifier locally. It is a common link between the various communities. The ground has contributed to harmonious community relations.

You will be aware that the community conducted a local referendum where over 94% of voters opposed the Council’s plans.

Further I am advised that over 3500 homes are proposed for land within the catchment area. This will create additional demands for spaces in local schools. I am advised that the proposed school will initially only have 150 surplus places. It is feared that the extra demand will quickly exceed the number of surplus places available. Residents do not want a huge school with all its attendant problems.

Clearly with such antagonism directed towards these proposals the prospect of creating a successful school must be called into question. Any new secondary school must be provided with the support and consent of the community it is to serve and not in the face of resolute opposition.

In view of the substantial and widespread opposition to the proposals I would ask you to reject these particular proposals and ask Cardiff Council to reconsider the future of secondary schools in Llanrumney and Rumney.

I would like to further discuss this issue with you to highlight residents objections and request a meeting with you.

Yours sincerely,

 

 

Chris Franks AM / AC

 

          

                                               =============

                                            Rt Hon ALUN MICHAEL JP MP

                                                        HOUSE OF COMMONS

                                                        LONDON SW1A 0AA

www.alunmichael.com

                                                            TEL: 020 7219 5980

Mr Chris Jones                                             FAX: 020 7219 5930

Chief Officer for Schools

City and County of Cardiff

Atlantic Wharf                                                                            18 May 2009

Cardiff

CF10 4UW

Dear Mr Jones,

I have been hoping against hope that your Council would acknowledge the powerful case against building a new school on the Llanrumney playing fields and instead accept the sensible option which is available. As time has now run out I have to accept that the council is obdurate in its decision and I therefore submit herewith my detailed and passionate objection to the plan.

For ease of reference I append a letter sent in January to the Council Leader and the text of a letter to the Chief Executive.

I object to the plan on three grounds :

• That the proposal is unacceptable, unworkable and impracticable in educational terms

• That the proposal is designed cynically to exploit the development value of alternative land rather than being based on the best site for educational purposes

• That the proposal involves an act of civic vandalism in removing a key piece of open space which is in effect the “Village Green” of the Greater Rumney area

I wish to stress that I approach this proposal objectively, but with experience of the educational and community needs of the area going back for 38 years. I left journalism in 1971 to became a youth and community worker in Llanrumney, based with Jimmy Thomas at Ball Road Youth Centre, as it then was. Many of the games played by members of the youth centre and the extensive range of Llanrumney Old Boys teams were played on the Llanrumney playing fields. We had to take youngsters backwards and forwards by minibus because there were no changing rooms on the Llanrumney playing fields. I know the frustration and impracticality of trying to operate on this two-site basis, which is what the council now proposes (in reverse) as part of its ill considered school proposal.

From 1973 I was a Cardiff City Councillor for the Rumney Ward which then included Llanrumney, Rumney and Trowbridge. In 1979, when Labour took control of Cardiff City Council, there was a manifesto commitment to build what became Eastern Leisure Centre. Within days of the election I was elected as chairman of the Planning and Development Committee, which meant I had the lead responsibility for delivering that promise. We undertook extensive consultation in the area and based on an analysis of all the sites available in the “Greater Rumney” area.

While it would have been physically possible to put the leisure centre on other sites, none of the others provided ease of access to both sides of Newport Road and to people in every part of the wider area east of the Rhymney River.

For that reason, we undertook a detailed consultation in the area about the proposition that the new leisure centre should be sited on the Llanrumney playing fields, albeit as far as possible to the west of the open space land.

In practice, that meant the site on which the Eastern Leisure Centre now stands since there were constraints in terms of access to the site, which had to be off Llanrumney Avenue, because Newport Road was then far more extensively used by heavy traffic at all times of the day and night.

There was a period of genuine debate within the local community, and as I was both chairman of the relevant committee and a local councillor I was intensively involved in those discussions. I can therefore state as a matter of absolute fact that the proposal to build Eastern Leisure Centre on the Llanrumney Playing Fields was accepted and supported by the local community. That support was not given lightly, because there was a deeply-held belief in the area that the playing fields land had been given under covenant in perpetuity as open space land. Our research at the time demonstrated that there was not an absolute covenant which would provide it an insurmountable legal obstacle, but that the land had indeed been given with the intention that it should be used in perpetuity as open space for the recreation and benefit of the local community.

Having established the legal position there was further discussion with the local community and by a large majority they agreed to support my proposal on the basis of two conditions.

• Firstly that the development would include adequate changing rooms to allow local young people to make use of the playing fields on a daily and weekly basis. The lack of such facilities had greatly diminished the value of the playing fields over previous years.

• Secondly that it was “this far and no further“ in terms of encroachment on the open space land. I understand that the present council takes the view that this commitment can be disregarded on the basis that no council can bind its successor. That may be true in law, but in policy terms it will be an act of civic vandalism if the historic value of this land to the Llanrumney area and the belief of its citizens is disregarded.

In contrast, the current proposals were roundly rejected by well over 90% of those who voted in a local referendum.

Frankly, I have the impression that current council officers and members have no sense of the history of this part of Cardiff. I can only assume that they believe what they have said to local residents, and that what appears to be an arrogant and overbearing approach arises from that ignorance rather than intention. It is certainly the case that many comments that have been made to and about local residents have been gratuitously offensive and well below the standard of communication that is regarded as basic for a leading local authority like Cardiff.

Having set out the historical context, we come to the current proposals.

As indicated earlier, both as an educationalist and as a member of a planning committee for many years I have frequently been engaged in discussions about the siting of schools and the extent of the footprint that is necessary for adequate provision of primary and secondary schools.

I have also had 38 years of experience of the local area, which I have now represented as its Member of Parliament for 22 years and before that as a city councillor for 15 years.

The Llanrumney Playing Fields site is effectively the village green of the Greater Rumney area. Nobody in their right minds would suggest building a school on that site, involving as it does the loss of a central piece of open space land, which is effectively the lungs of the area.

I strongly and passionately support the replacement of the two local secondary schools, Llanrumney High School and Rumney High School, with a single high quality school building which is fit for purpose in the 21st century. That school should have strong links with the nearby St Illtyd’s Roman Catholic High School, and with Coleg Glan Hafren, which provides most of the post-16 education for this area and the wider east of Cardiff.

It is blindingly obvious that this new school could and should be built on the land slightly to the East of the current Rumney High School. That would allow the current school to continue in operation during the construction of the new buildings rather in the way that St Illtyd's High School did when undertaking the building of its new school buildings. Following the completion of the new school, that arrangement would release part of the land for development - giving the city council a reasonable return of money that could be invested here or elsewhere.

To see to build a high school on the open space land can only be described as an act of civic vandalism and theft of open space, which is rightly regarded by the local community as their own. In any event, the land take that is proposed is unrealistic. It would not be practicable to build a modern school on the footprint shown on the rather vague sketch plans which were the only source of information provided by Cardiff County Council for viewing at Eastern Leisure Centre recently. Adequate parking recreation and playing land could not be provided within the footprint of the site, and nor could the buildings.

There are circumstances in which a leisure centre can be incorporated within a set of school buildings without compromising its integrity and autonomy. That has not been the case in Cardiff, which does not have a tradition of integrating community facilities with educational provision. Indeed, in recent years the muddle of combined educational and recreational management has frequently led to problems and a poor service to local communities.

For over 20 years Eastern Leisure Centre has provided a focus of activity in the area which would be compromised by integrating it within the high school site. That proposal should be rejected. It is to be noted that the Western Leisure Centre which was the first leisure centre to be built by the old city council has recently been upgraded and continues to be self-contained and available to the wider community of Ely and West Cardiff. The same should now happen with Eastern Leisure Centre.

It can only be assumed that the intention in East Cardiff is to sell off an existing school site for a high profit to save money, to create an overlap between the new high school and the leisure centre to the detriment of both, to escape from the Council’s obligations to make proper provision for the education of secondary school pupils and in effect to steal the open space land from the community in order to save money for the Council. This is an appalling example to set the children and young people who would come into the new school.

From conversations with leading councillors I am aware that the impression has been given to some of them at least that the opposition to this proposal has been whipped up by two or three individuals and contains no substance. That is a very sad misapprehension and it is impossible from the outside to know whether it is the result of deliberate misinformation or merely a lack of understanding about the history of this site and see complex nature of educational provision in Llanrumney. The consultation process has been seriously compromised by the dismissive and patronising remarks made in public when the council’s plans have been challenged.

Llanrumney is one of those areas which suffered from the well-intentioned post-war attempt to provide high-quality schools with plenty of open space. Sadly, schools were then built on the periphery of the area with open space beyond it. Effectively secondary education was torn out of the heart of the community and put at its periphery. In any event, in the case of Llanrumney, the school and the adjacent youth centre effectively had to operate on a split site in order to field their wide range of teams by using the Llanrumney playing fields at the weekend. I know personally, what is involved in the ferrying youngsters backwards and forwards between the two sites. It should only be done when there is literally no alternative in an area. In this case there is a perfectly sensible alternative.

It must also be remembered that the closure of Rumney High School will lead to a need to replace Rumney Youth Centre (the former Caer Castell Youth Centre) and the opportunity should be taken to find a more suitable site on the periphery of the school or in a separate location for this facility.

It should also be remembered that the new single school will effectively replace the three schools that should have existed in this area. As well as Llanrumney High School and Rumney High School there was to have been a secondary school at the centre on the new St Mellons estate. The birthrate simply would not sustain the provision of School in St Mellons, but it must be remembered that for 20 years, families and pupils from the St Mellons estate have had to make do with an inadequate option. Most have to go to Llanrumney High School, in many cases passing Rumney high school on the way there.

It is not acceptable for a quick fix, with merit only in so far as it saves money for the council, to be pursued relentlessly despite the fact that there are better options available. The loss of mature trees would be a disaster and the council has tried to persuade us that the school can be built on less than a third of the land recommended in the relevant educational guidelines.

My plea to the council is please to abandon these plans and purse the reasonable alternative that is available.

 

Yours sincerely,

ALUN MICHAEL MP

Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Cardiff South & Penarth serving ………..

Butetown • Grangetown • Llandough • Llanrumney • Penarth • Rumney • Splott• Tremorfa • Trowbridge • St. Mellons

==========

 

Andrew RT Davies AM

Welsh Conservative Member for South Wales Central

Aelod y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig dros y Canol De Cymru

Cynulliad National

Cenedlaethol Assembly for

Cymru Wales

Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1NA

Bae Caerdydd, Caerdydd, CF99 1NA

Chief Officer

Schools and Life-Long Learning

Education Department

County Hall

Atlantic Wharf

Cardiff

CF104UW Wednesday 13th May 2009

 

Dear Sir I Madam,

Re: Proposed new school at Rumney Recreation Ground / Eastern leisure Centre site. I have met with representatives of RREEL - the action group that is opposed to the building of the school at this site and I find the rationale on which their objections are based both plausible and sound.

I have become aware of the widely held negative opinions towards the development at this site by the local population and this was illustrated by the very significant turn -out (greater than that for the May 2008 local ward elections) to a local referendum in which over 93% of those who expressed a view were against the chosen site.

It is worth noting that those that are against the development are not objecting to the new school; rather they are opposed to its siting at Rumney recreation ground on the basis that the site is too small; it would require a split site bringing with it all the associated problems of management and safety; it would not have a sixth form and it would exacerbate the existing heavy congestion at the nearby road junction.

Those in opposition to this site would point out that three other sites had originally been considered and they were more appropriate for various reasons including the availability of more space for the development. Building the school at Rumney Recreation ground would also deprive the local community of a valuable green amenity site.

RREEL are also concerned about the way in which Cardiff Council has consulted on

this project - it would appear that not all of the School Governing Bodies involved were

consulted. RREEL also allege that an opportunity for acquiring funding for this project

from the Welsh Assembly Government were not taken, whilst funding applications for

other school building projects were made.

I therefore wish to formally object to the building of a new secondary school at the

Rumney Recreation Ground / Eastern leisure Centre site and I urge Cardiff Council to

heed the strength of local opinion on this matter and re-consider the alternative sites

previously identified.

Yours sincerely

Andrew RT Davies AM

Shadow Spokesperson for Health

and Social Services.

 

 

South Wales Central comprises Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taff and the Vale of Glamorgan

==========

 

LORRAINE BARRETT AM

Assembly Member representing Cardiff South and Penarth

 

16 May 2009                                                        Cardiff Bay, Cardiff CF99 1NA

The Chief Officer, Schools & Lifelong Learning      
Cardiff County Council

County Hall, Atlantic Wharf

Cardiff

CF10 4UW

 

Dear Sir,

I am writing to object to the plans by Cardiff County Council to build a new Secondary school on the Rumney Recreational grounds/playing fields. I want to see a new school being built to replace Rumney High and Llanrumney High but it is absolutely clear that the Council has not seriously considered a more suitable site.

I feel very strongly that by building on this land it will deprive both communities of Rumney and Llanrumney, as well as St Mellons and Trowbridge, of well loved, and well used playing fields. I see this land as the lungs of the area which has one of the busiest main roads, Newport Road, running through it. A school on this site, coupled with a shared Leisure Centre will only mean much more traffic and congestion. Surely this is what we should all be avoiding given that we are all concerned about the environment.? Such an approach is educationally unsound and would set a bad example to pupils now and in the future.

Along with Alun Michael MP, I have assisted and supported residents who are desperately concerned at the proposed loss of this amenity and the suggestion by the council that other pieces of land will be made available to compensate for the loss of this green space, just doesn’t make sense as the alternatives are not central to the Greater Rumney area and are not suitable for the purposes needed by the communities in East Cardiff.

The Council has said that the leisure facilities will be made available to residents but we are told that the school will be given priority. Whilst that is understandable, it does mean that many community groups will not be able to continue with the events that they currently enjoy, and many people will have to go further afield in order to swim or use fitness facilities at the times when the school is using the leisure complex.

I understand that, for the size of the school the Government recommends at least 10 hectares, but the site is only 3.3 hectares.This will be the second largest school in Cardiff but on the second smallest site. The people of East Cardiff are being short changed by this proposal.

I was quite shocked to learn that the Council proposes to transport pupils down to the Llanrumney High playing fields for their games or across the road to land at Rumney High. This seems ludicrous and goes totally against all our aims to cut carbon emissions. The Council has not told us what the estimated costs will be for this transport. Whilst it would be healthier for the pupils to walk to the proposed playing fields for their games periods, I can imagine this would take quite some time out of their curriculum and would cause absolute chaos with classes having to cross Newport Road, or Llanrumney Avenue every day. Had a sample timetable been produced to show how many journeys would have to be made every school day it would have served to show that this proposal is unsustainable.

I object most strongly to the potential loss of so many mature trees which provide essential oxygen for this area. There are over 500 trees on the site, and given that only sketchy plans have been provided so far, which are unrealistic and show an inadequate footprint, it is clear that many trees will be destroyed and that the impact has not been properly assessed.

When the Leisure Centre was first built, and all other options were explored through consultation, the community agreed to the proposal because they could see that the community benefit was enormous and a consensus was reached. But it was made clear then that no further building should take place on this land. This time, people feel that the Leisure Centre is being taken from them and that a decision is being forced upon them. They also feel that alternatives have not been explored properly and that is why there is no consensus.

Whilst there are always objections to any changes and I appreciate that difficult decisions have to be made in regard to surplus places in our schools, this proposal really is the wrong one especially when there are alternatives. There is genuine upset and disbelief amongst the many communities that use the Leisure Centre and the playing fields, and that was shown by the thousands of people who have signed petitions, voted in the referendum and turned out in force on many occasions.

On more than one occasion, leading councillors have tried to suggest that the objections are being whipped up by one or two individuals. That is not true, but if they believe that to be the case, it may explain why the Council has remained obdurate. Even at this late stage, I would appeal to the Council as a whole and the Cabinet in particular to recognise that this is a reasonable and rational and widespread response to the plan, based on the fact that the educational benefits can be achieved without building on this piece of land which is central to the well-being and health of the whole area.

Yours sincerely,

Lorraine Barrett AM

========

Chris Jones

Chief Officer

Schools & Lifelong Learning

Cardiff County Council

County Hall

CARDIFF , CF10 4UW 19^th May 2009

 

 

Dear Chris

 

Llanrumney and Rumney High School

 

Regarding your statutory notice in the media on 20^th March,

I formally object to the building of a new secondary school on the Rumney Recreations Ground at Eastern Leisure Centre site in Newport Road , Llanrumney, Cardiff .

I am quite concerned that the plans that are proposed are not conducive to providing the best educational provision for the two schools.  I object to the selling off of land for housing as this is not again in the best interests of the area or the residents.  There is also the prospect of this school not fulfilling all needs as according to reports there will not be a sixth form.  If we are reorganising for the benefit of schools and children in this area, I feel this matter is not being correctly addressed.

 
As the Welsh Assembly Government has not been approached for funding for this project, I feel it is a gross oversight and that these plans should be shelved pending a review/cancellation of these proposals and new plans developed which hopefully would be more acceptable to the residents and schoolchildren of Llanrumney and Rumney.

Yours sincerely

CLLR LYN HUDSON

 ==========

 

In response to the Council posting their Legal Notices we have sent this letter to all Councillors and are in the process of sending it to all the Assembly Members:

 

Did you know, or are you aware, that if a new school is given the go ahead to be built on Rumney Recreation ground/playing fields, it will be:

 

 

The 2nd largest  school in Cardiff,

Built on the 2nd smallest site and,

The 1st new school development ever built on split - sites.

It will become only the 2nd split-site school in Cardiff

 

(Source:  Cardiff City Council statistics) 

 

Do you believe this is a school fit for the 21st Century?

There won't be a 6th form!

Do you believe this solution is in the best interests of our children and our community?

Pupils will need to be bused, or walked, over 1 mile to their playing fields, losing valuable study time

These are the same playing fields that will become resident's public open space

We believe that the Council intend to confiscate/steal the remainder of our recreation ground at a later date.

Do you truly believe this proposed new school will serve the needs of our children for the next 40-50 years?

 

RREEL ACTION GROUP

Fighting to save Rumney Recreation Ground from Development

For and on behalf of residents

Protect our Green Spaces, Parks and Playing Fields !

 

 

RREEL ACTION GROUP

This is an Open (post Referendum) Letter we have sent to Rodney Berman, with copies to all the Councillors.  We have also sent it to the Echo and BBC online.

 

18 February 2009

Councillor Rodney Berman

Leader Cardiff County Council

County Hall

Atlantic Wharf

Cardiff

CF10 4UW

Dear Councillor Berman,

We, as members of the RREEL Action Group, call upon you and your Executive Members to accept the result of yesterday's local community poll/referendum held in Rumney and Llanrumney, and demand that you withdraw your proposal to build the new school on Rumney Recreation ground/Eastern Leisure centre site.

The overall combined result was a resounding 93.6% "No" vote. This is a clear message that people want to retain their parkland and open public space and do not want the new school built on Rumney Recreation ground/ Eastern Leisure centre site.

The combined turnout figure of 27.6% was higher than the turnout figure at last year's Council election of 26.25% in these two wards.

This outstanding result was achieved with:

• Only 5 hours in which to vote.

• No postal votes.

• No polling cards directing people to their Local Polling Station.

• No information issued to the Council's electoral/voting staff, to assist and guide people to their correct Polling Station.

• No information issued to RREEL, so that we could guide people to their correct Polling Station and,

• Less than 3 weeks in which to organise our campaign and canvas local people's opinion.

The Council's Executive chose to ignore the 8,000 petition, which contained signatures of people across the 4 wards of Rumney, Llanrumney, Trowbridge and St. Mellons. The Council's Executive also chose to ignore 3,500 letters of objection during consultation. How can you now ignore the people of Rumney and Llanrumney who have spoken out and voted against the proposals through a rightful, democratic process?

You have issued statements that you are "listening" or "hear the views" expressed by local people - are these statements really true? Repeatedly, we have told you that we are not opposed to the school proposal, it is only where you choose to locate the new school. A "neutral" site does not affect children's education, it is the quality of the teaching staff and educational standards.

The residents of Rumney and Llanrumney have not been misled about Eastern Leisure centre being under threat. Prior to the referendum, you issued every household in Rumney, Llanrumney, St. Mellons and Trowbridge with letters clearly explaining your intentions with indicative plans. You also set up an exhibition in the Leisure Centre one week before the referendum, so that everyone could view the plans.

We therefore, call upon you to uphold the democratic process and accept the 93.6% "No" vote to the question "Do you agree with Cardiff City & County Council that the new school should be built on Rumney Recreation Grounds/Eastern Leisure Centre site?".

Yours sincerely,

DON TAYLOR

CHAIR

Signed on behalf of RREEL Action Group

Denise Taylor, Secretary

Mel Plenty, Treasurer

Rachel Robjohn, Snr. Committee Member

 Letter from: Councillor Ralph Cook

 

Councillor Rodney Berman

Leader Cardiff County Council

County Hall

Atlantic Wharf

Cardiff

CF10 4UW

 

18/2/2009

 

Dear Rodney

 

I note the result of yesterday’s non-parish Community Poll (referendum) in Rumney and Llanrumney. On a turnout significantly higher than that for the Controlled Parking Zone referendum and not far short of that achieved in the two Wards in last year’s Local Government Elections - despite the reduced polling hours and the absence of postal votes – it is now indisputably clear that both communities are overwhelmingly opposed to your Administration’s proposal to build a new school for East Cardiff on the Rumney Recreation Ground/Eastern Leisure Centre site.

 

Significantly - although my own Ward was not included in the poll - by some accident, or error, notices about it were delivered by the Royal Mail to many homes in the Trowbridge Ward. Last night considerable numbers of Trowbridge electors turned up at the Eastern Leisure Centre intending to vote. During the last two weeks I have also felt the strength of opinion in my Ward on this matter. I can assure you it is very much aligned with that in the Wards polled yesterday evening.

 

May I add that many of the 250 people who voted “Yes” in the poll seem to have done so with heavy hearts because the whole basis of your defence of the Council’s proposed land grab at Rumney Recreation Ground was that it was the only affordable option for providing the secondary school that the community so desperately needs and wants.

 

As you had been warned of the likely result of this poll and have experienced first hand the strength of opinion in the east Cardiff, I assume you and your Administration have already considered a response to the expected outcome. Therefore, I call upon you as a matter of urgency to respond. My advice is that you immediately bow to public opinion in Llanrumney and Rumney and announce the Council’s intention to abandon the Liberal Democrat/Plaid Cymru proposals to build a new secondary school on the Rumney Recreation/Eastern Leisure Centre site.

 

I also call upon you to announce that you will meet myself and my colleagues, the other elected Members for Llanrumney, Pontprennau & Old St. Mellons, Rumney and Trowbridge, to discuss the way forward with regard to the provision of a new Secondary School in east Cardiff.

 

I look forward to hearing from you

 

Yours Sincerely

 

 

Councillor Ralph Cook

Leader, Cardiff County Council’s Labour Group