Help protect Cardiff’s fascinating historic buildings from the wrecking ball

A library image of a demolished building

Following on from our successful campaign to locally list some of Cardiff’s most interesting pubs and clubs – an endeavour launched in conjunction with CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) - we succeeded in getting 75 establishments ‘locally listed’.

This isn’t as powerful as a Cadw listing, but it does mean that a developer cannot simply demolish a building that stands in their way under ‘permitted development’ rights and gives Cardiff Council the power to issue an Article 4 directive, forcing the developer to seek formal planning permission.

Our latest campaign looks at the city’s religious and educational establishments.  The tragic loss of the Splott University Settlement highlights the sorry fact that absolutely nowhere is safe from developers’ avarice.

To recap:

The Splott University Settlement was established in 1901, at 50-52 Portmanoor Road, Splott, Cardiff, Glamorgan, by a group of academic staff at the University College, Cardiff, led by Professor Ronald Burrows (Professor of Greek). They were concerned that the University College should seek to improve social conditions in the poorer areas of Cardiff by active social work in the community. The objective of the University Settlement was to provide educational and recreational facilities not normally available to the poorer members of the community. 

Despite a vigorous and vocal campaign amassing thousands of signatures, this lovely building was lost.  As support from Cadw wasn’t forthcoming, a local listing might have made the difference.

If you have a much-cherished building in mind that needs protection, please contact Nerys - chair@cardiffcivicsociety.org