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Wednesday, March 11, 2009

22 Newport Road 

A Planning Application for an advertisement at Hallinans House, 22 Newport Road was refused by Cardiff Council. The applicant subsequently appealed to the Planning Inspectorate who have dismissed the appeal. Here is the text of the decision letter:

Decision
1. I dismiss the appeal.

Reasons and Conclusions
2. Notwithstanding its predominantly commercial setting, this part of the street scene has an impression of orderliness which in part is derived from the general lack of visual clutter, and the clean and simple lines of the tall upright buildings, that also display a degree of uniformity in style and form. The appeal site itself is a prominent and largely blank brick wall with a vertical emphasis that makes a significant contribution to this setting. Whereas the proposed advertisement would sit within the confines of the existing wall, in the context that I have described, and by reason of its horizontal alignment and illumination, it would be a prominent and visually jarring feature that would harmfully disrupt the integrity of the existing building and the street scene. I have had regard to national planning guidance in Technical Advice Note (Wales) 7 Outdoor Advertisement Control, however, in the particular circumstances of this case, I do not considerthat the proposal would be seen as an integral feature of the building, rather, it would result in an incongruous feature that would be overly dominant and intrusive to the detriment of the visual amenities of the area.

Penny Davies
INSPECTOR

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Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Under 18's Club Night 

There will be an Under 18's Club Night on Wednesday 11th March at St Germans Church Hall, from 7pm to 9.30pm.

There's a live R&B band from Bristol, Up To The Minute, a demonstration of Capoeira (Brazilian Martial Art) and all the usual MC/DJ/dance offs.

Admission is FREE.

Monday, March 02, 2009

Free Craft Sessions 

Free Craft Sessions are being held at Adamsdown Resource Centre, 10G Moira Terrace on the 10th, 17th and 31st March 2009 - between 1.30pm and 3.30pm.

Come and try a range of creative activities including painting and stencilling, felt craft, crochet, needlework and clay modelling.

All Welcome.

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Tuesday, February 10, 2009

272 Newport Road 

A Planning Application for an advertisement at 272 Newport Road was refused by Cardiff Council. The applicant subsequently appealed to the Planning Inspectorate who have dismissed the appeal. Here is the text of the decision letter:

Decision
1. For the reasons given below I dismiss the appeal.
Reasons and Conclusions
2. The advertisement in question is already in place on the flank wall of a 3 storey end of terrace property on the south side of Newport Road; a major arterial route to the City centre. It is sited some 2.7m above ground level, measures 3m in width by 600mm and projects out 75mm and is internally illuminated. While being near to the front elevation of the terrace it overlooks a wide, concreted accessway that leads to the rear of the terraced properties on both sides, serving
lock-up garages and, to the rear of No. 272, a parking area and the entrance to a computer repair and servicing business.
3. It is clear from the representations made that a major concern relates to discussions held with the Council prior to and following the erection of the advertisement. I cannot comment as to the nature and content of these. It is clear that an application was duly made to the Council, followed by an appeal against the Council’s decision and I am obliged to determine the appeal as submitted and on its individual merits.
4. The sole reason for refusal in this case concerned the impact of the advertisement on the visual amenities of the area. Newport Road in the vicinity of the site is overwhelmingly residential in character, despite the presence of heavy traffic. All the properties on the south side between the Royal Oak public house and Broadway Road to the west and No. 306 and the start of the retail park to the east appear to be in residential occupation. Similarly all the properties on the other side of the road are in residential use other than a hotel some distance away at No. 385.
5. While the sign cannot be seen from the east, it is highly prominent in the street scene from the west, due to its size and dark background, in an area generally devoid of similar types of advertisements. It appears as a conspicuous feature on an exposed gable wall. This prominence is greatly enhanced during the hours of darkness due to its illuminated nature. Indeed I observed that during the evening it stood out as a very brightly lit feature. As such I consider that it appears incongruous in relation to its residential surroundings and detracts from the visual character and appearance of the area.
6. I appreciate that some form of signage for the business at the rear of the property may be necessary from the business point of view. Also I acknowledge that the fact that it provides light to an otherwise darkened area contributes to a feeling of greater security in the area. However the Regulations require decisions in cases such as this to be made only in the interests of amenity and, where applicable, public safety (such as the safety of persons using a road). The latter is not at issue in this appeal and therefore it is the matter of visual amenity that is decisive in my decision. Accordingly I cannot comment as to whether there may be other appropriate means of signing the business and providing lighting for the area. I have noted all the other matters raised but find that none are of sufficient importance to affect my decision.


David Sheers
Inspector

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Monday, September 22, 2008

United Pizza Plus 

On 12th September 2008, the Council's Licensing Sub-Committee refused the late licence application made by United Pizza Plus of 138 Broadway.

The decision of the sub committee is as follows:

The Sub Committee has before it an application for the grant of a Premises Licence from United Pizza Plus, 138 Broadway, Roath, Cardiff, CF24 1NL.

We have listened to all the evidence and submissions and have reread the material again. We have also considered the Licensing Act 2003 the Section 182 Guidance and our own Statement of Licensing Policy.

We have also heard the representations made today by South Wales Police and from a number of Interested Parties represented by a local ward councillor and we have considered all written representations made to us.

In view of the evidence of the police and the first hand evidence we have heard about the problems local residents are experiencing in terms of nuisance and disorder taking place we consider that the application should be refused.

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Under 18's Club Night 

On Thursday 25th September 2008 there is an under 18's Club Night at St Germans Church Hall, from 6.30pm to 9.30pm.

As well as DJ Joff, there will be competitions and giveaways.

Entry is free.

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Tuesday, August 19, 2008

From the Far East to South Wales – Beach Volleyball comes to Cardiff 

The Olympics may be currently taking place in Beijing, but that won’t stop Cardiff hosting its very own sporting spectacle this bank holiday weekend, as the Olympic Sport of Beach Volleyball makes an appearance at the city’s Mermaid Quay Harbour Festival.
The Dodge Urban Beach Tour bounces along to South Wales for three days of fast paced action from 23rd – 25th August 2008.
It’s the final stop on the UK-wide Tour, which has also visited Milton Keynes, Glasgow, Portsmouth and Birmingham over the past two months, in order to showcase the sport and get young people involved in the build up to the 2012 London Olympics.

To recreate the action and atmosphere which has been in abundance at Chaoyang Park in Beijing, over 200 tonnes of sand will be used to create a beach court at Roald Dahl Plass, surrounded by an arena for spectators.

The bank holiday action will also see the Barry Island tournament take place, where Barry Island Beach Volleyball club members will compete against each other on the beach court to earn their bragging rights.
Presenting the event will be popular TV presenter Nigel Clarke, from CBBC’s Sportsround and GMTV’s Toonattik. Nigel will be entertaining spectators throughout the elite action, and will be giving away hundreds of Dodge Urban Beach Tour beach balls.

Challenging for the Dodge Urban Beach Tour title will be last year’s winning male and female pairings of Jody Gooding with Steve Grotowski and Melissa Coutts with Angie Clarke. Also making an appearance is Jake Sheaf – Britain’s rising star and entrant at the World U21 Championship, alongside his brother Luke.

Councillor Nigel Howells Executive Member for Sports, Leisure and Culture said: “We are delighted to welcome back this exciting tour which has proved to be a great success in previous years. I am sure this year’s will be even more successful and I’m expecting a great beach festival atmosphere across the court over the three days. With the Olympics currently taking place in Beijing and therefore greater awareness of the sport, we are expecting thousands to descend on Roald Dahl Plass for the bank holiday weekend.”
After the Tour’s climax at Cardiff, attention will switch to Brighton and the SWATCH FIVB Junior World Championships in September, which are taking place in the UK for the very first time.

For more information about this year’s fixtures and events contact 0191 222 0440 or visit www.urbanbeachtour.co.uk

Come Rain or Shine, families can enjoy the August Bank Holiday weekend in Cardiff Bay 

Pirates on Tall Ships; a Continental Market to tickle your taste buds; Live Volleyball and
activities on the water. It can only mean one, thing - it’s time for the Mermaid Quay
Cardiff Harbour Festival in Cardiff Bay!
This family favourite returns to Cardiff Bay on August Bank Holiday weekend, and this year is really not to be missed. The Festival provides a wide range of daily nautical activities and entertainment from 23 – 25th August.

This year, the ever popular Ruth and the Matthew Tall ships will be on site all weekend and this will be joined by the SV Tangora and two Bristol Channel Cutters on the pontoons in the Inner Harbour. Climb aboard these vessels for a just £1 to gain a fascinating insight into life on the open sea!

Throughout the weekend there will be a series of displays around the waters edge. Each day people will be invited to come along and for a small charge try sailing and canoeing on the water thanks to Adventure Cardiff. Also, the Viper boats will be competing around a circuit in the Inner Harbour speeding against the clock in a series of time trials each day of the Harbour Festival weekend. In addition there will be daily street entertainment, with five beach huts each carrying its own show with a twist! It could be a comical fortune teller or tattooist…who knows? Come along to find out for yourself! There will also be a giant sand pit located in the Bay. This supervised children’s play area will have buckets and spades, toys and plastic dumper trucks for those of all ages to enjoy!

On Sunday and Monday the Newfoundland Dogs will amaze with their strength and agility in
retrieval demonstrations and the RNLI will be providing a dynamic rescue display on the water – not to be missed! Also, the royal artillery parachute team will be demonstrating their skills in the air and on the water.

The pirates take over in the Norwegian Church Arts Centre, with arts and craft workshops for big kids of all ages from 11am – 3pm on Sunday. Everyone is invited to take part in the hotly contested best dressed pirate competition, which will be judged at 4.45pm that day with a family prize for the winning pirate!

The Harbour Festival will also play host to the inaugural Welsh Open Beach Volleyball
Championships! Volleyball takes two forms at the Olympics in 2012 - the indoor game played by teams of six, and beach volleyball, which is played in pairs. Building on the success from last year’s competition, the Mermaid Quay Cardiff Harbour Festival is again hosting this fantastic sport which will also coincide with the Olympic handover from Beijing to the UK.
The Dodge Urban Beach Tour with its professional competitors will be on the sand on Bank
Holiday Monday, and the Women’s GB Team hopefuls for 2012 will be there on Sunday, but
visitors and residents to the city will also be able to get involved with a two day knock out event for amateur competitors from across the region on the Saturday and Sunday.

The three days of maritime entertainment also will include traditional sea shanty singers, as well as street theatre and live bands. Musical entertainment will be provided by a wide range of bands including Cuban Jazz from the Buena Risca Social Club on Saturday, Ska from Kingsize on Sunday and Swing with Tricity Vogue on Monday!

From 11 – 6pm each day, the traditional Continental Market will set out its stalls of tasty produce in Roald Dahl Plass - showcasing mouth watering fresh food from Germany, Holland, France, Morocco and Ireland. You can exercise your wallet at the well stocked market featuring an array of stalls, to tickle and tempt your taste buds!

Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure & Culture said,
“A great Summer of entertainment has been planned and arranged in Cardiff Bay, throughout 2008, with the vast majority of events available free of charge. This summer has been no exception, and it is down to the hard work and commitment of the Council and the Harbour Authority that visitors and residents have been able to enjoy such a varied calendar, with the Mermaid Quay Harbour Festival proving itself as a particular family favourite year on year!”

For more details log onto www.cardiff-festivals.com and www.cardiffharbour.com

Cardiff so proud of its Olympic successes 

Cardiff athletes have continued to excel at the Beijing Olympics adding to the gold medal haul for Team GB.
Cyclist Geraint Thomas, rower Tom James and road race cyclist Nicole Cooke all have won gold in Beijing - with all three having strong Cardiff connections.

Thomas, 22, went to Whitchurch High School and along with Cooke used to be a member of Maindy Leisure Centre’s cycling team, the Maindy Flyers. Cooke stormed to victory to claim Team GB’s first gold medal of the games just over a week ago and Thomas was part of the four-strong Great Britain men’s pursuit team who destroyed Denmark to win gold and set a new world record.

The two Olympians used to train at the cycle track in Cardiff, and have helped the club to inspire the next generation of cycling enthusiasts.

And Cardiff-born rower Tom James has made it a trio of gold medals for the city with his success in the men’s coxless fours at the weekend.

Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport Leisure and Culture, said: "The contribution of athletes with connections to Cardiff in this Olympic Games has made everyone in the city so proud.
“On behalf of Cardiff Council I would like to offer my congratulations to Tom, Geraint and Nicole. They are true Welsh sporting icons and I hope their gold medals will go onto inspire youngsters in Cardiff to try and emulate their success.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to wish the remaining Welsh competitors in the
Olympics, along with everyone in Team GB, all the best for their events.”

Monday, August 04, 2008

Helen Place Park
Community Funday
Sunday the 17th August
1 to 4pm
Come along and join the fun.
There will be football, circus skills, bouncy castles, stalls and much more!
For more information contact Beth or Su on 029 2046 0899

CARDIFF DECLARED A GOOD SPORT 


Cardiff has been chosen to represent the UK as a European City of Sport for 2009.

The Welsh capital was awarded the title following a two day visit by judges from the European Capitals of Sport Association (ACES).

The judges were shown around the city by members of Sport.Cardiff, inspecting sporting facilities across the city and the wide range of programmes on offer.

The title means the city now ranks as a major centre for sporting excellence and good practice, with Cardiff representing the UK in a European-wide network of premier sporting cities.

As part of its term as 2009 European City of Sport UK, Cardiff will host the UK School Games.

The five main objectives of ACES are enjoyment in exercise, willingness to achieve, sense of community, learning fair play and improvement of health. All the judges felt these objectives were all met by the city and the Sport.Cardiff team.

ACES president, Gianfrancesco Luptelli, said: “The inspection team from ACES were impressed by Cardiff's commitment to sport for all through extensive sports development schemes and inclusion pricing policy to attract maximum usage from your citizens.

"The development work going on in schools to promote health, fitness and sports for young people is also something your city can be proud of. Most of all we were impressed by the commitment, enthusiasm and passion shown by all the staff involved in the delivery of your sports services - without them nothing can be achieved.""

He added: "We also noted the considerable amount of capital expenditure that the council and its partners have invested in the city and are delighted that further investments are planned in the future."

Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport Leisure and Culture, said: "It has long been acknowledged that Cardiff is now recognised on the world stage as a first class destination for sporting events – but what this award demonstrates is the incredible hard work that goes on in the city promoting sport and ensuring people have access to a great variety of sporting schemes and programmes.

"Cardiff has made a significant investment in development officers, coaches, volunteers and Partnerships and this award recognises the investments Cardiff has made in sport and the effort that has been made to encourage participation from all communities."

Adamsdown Community Garden Summer BBQ 

Adamsdown Community Garden
Summer BBQ
Sunday 10th August
12 – 4pm

Adamsdown Community Garden, the Resource Centre, 10G Moira Terrace, Adamsdown, Cardiff

All welcome - children must be accompanied by an adult.
For more info call Beth on 2046 0899
bethan.gamble@thescarmantrust.org

Come and celebrate summer in the Adamsdown Community Garden.
A chance to kick back and relax. There will be food, music
and environmental activities on what we hope will be a
beautifully sunny summer's day!

Everyone welcome!

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