Cardiff Council is considering entering into a legal agreement with Fields In Trust.
Fields in Trust is an independent charity that legally protects parks and green spaces around the UK. Its Charity Number is 306070 (England and Wales).
The council is considering protecting 11 sites through this agreement – also known as a ‘deed of dedication’. These are:
- Cemetery Park in Adamsdown,
- Craiglee Drive in Butetown,
- Trelai Park in Caerau,
- Sanatorium Park in Canton,
- Rhydypenau Park in Cyncoed,
- Fairwater Park in Fairwater,
- Hailey Park in Llandaff North,
- Parc Waun Fach in Pentwyn,
- Westfield Park in Pentyrch and St Fagans,
- Heol Llanishen Fach in Rhiwbina, and
- Caerleon Park in Trowbridge.
Ownership, management and maintenance of the sites would remain with the council. 10 sites owned by the council are already permanently protected by Fields in Trust:
- Alexandra Gardens,
- Grange Gardens,
- Heath Park,
- Hywel Dda Open Space,
- Llanishen Park,
- Moorland Park,
- Pontcanna Fields,
- Pontprennau Fields,
- Roath Recreation Ground, and
- Rumney Recreation Ground.
Creigiau Recreation Ground and Old St Mellons Playing Field are also protected in this way. These sites are managed by local community councils.
Prioritising parks and green spaces
Fields in Trust has several criteria that landowners must meet to protect parks and green spaces, including:
- ownership of the space, having a freehold interest or a leasehold interest of at least 99 years,
- a site being used for informal physical activity and recreation or formal sport,
- a site being at least 0.2 hectares, and
- a site having some form of permanent public access.
When prioritising sites for protection, we also considered:
- areas of the city with the lowest levels of available green spaces (as any potential future loss of these would make the situation worse),
- areas of the city where there are higher levels of poverty,
- areas of the city that do not currently have a council-owned site protected by Fields in Trust, and
- sites which include functional open space (open space designed for play, sport and active recreation).
If your local park or green space is not currently protected or on the list to be protected, this means other sites were considered a higher priority. This does not mean the council is planning to develop your local park or green space, or that it will not be protected in future.
Conditions of the agreement
If the council enters into the agreement, it will only be able to develop the site for the purpose of encouraging of outdoor leisure and recreation. For example:
- installing a playground or 3G pitch, or
- building changing rooms.
Anything outside of these purposes would need Fields in Trust’s consent. For example, proposals to:
- lease the land, or
- sell the land for development.
A limited number of organisations have statutory development rights that override the rights of landowners. For example:
- utility companies, and
- rail networks.
The council, like any other landowner, cannot stop developments of this kind. Fields in Trust would not be able to stop these in future either, even if it objected.
The current council administration as at June 2024 does not intend to develop any parks or green spaces. However, without this agreement, it cannot guarantee this would stay the same if a different administration was elected in future. Protecting these sites now would make sure they remain public green spaces in the future.
Have your say
We would like to hear your views on the proposal.
Please complete the Fields in Trust survey.
For more information, please visit the Fields in Trust website or view Fields in trust FAQs on our Newsroom site.
This consultation closes on 2 September 2024.