RESIDENTS who opposed plans for a BMX track in Cardiff over fears of flooding have raised concerns about how the site became surrounded by water over the past few days.
Heavy rainfall brought about by Storm Bert over the the weekend led to flooding in a number of areas across South Wales, including Cardiff.
Llanrumney Fields in Llanrumney was one area of the city that became flooded after the River Rumney burst its banks.
When plans to build a new BMX track there were approved in 2021, residents opposing the choice of location pointed out that the site was within a flood plane, but Natural Resources Wales (NRW) raised no objections and Cardiff Council’s flooding expert gave no representation at the time.
More recently, the council said Llanrumney Fields is designed to flood when the River Rhymney breaches its banks to reduce the risk of flooding affecting properties.
Club secretary of Cardiff BMX Racing Club, Gideon Jones, said the track was constructed in line with the planning permission and in accordance with sustainable drainage systems (SUDS) approval.
Pictures showing the track from above following the flooding at Llanrumney Fields shows that the facility has been largely untouched by the floodwater as it is raised.
However, the area around it, including the road leading up to Cylch Meithrin Pili Pala and one of the nearby car parks, has been fully submerged with some vehicles partly underwater.
Llanrumney resident, Manon Fischer-Jenkins, said: “[I am] disappointment in Cardiff Council in allowing something to be built with tax payer’s money in a location that everybody knew was very at risk of flooding.
“Unfortunately, it has come to fruition that the whole area is under deep water.”
The BMX track in Llanrumney opened in the summer this year.
Ms Fischer-Jenkins said she is worried about any potential damage that the flooding might have caused to the track and claimed that the site has displaced rainwater due to it being raised.
She added: “In the last big flooding that we had about four years ago, the flood water always seemed to be contained within the field and it didn’t have a knock on affect of the car park and the road becoming unusable.
“We have always talked about the impact of the water displacement of the BMX track and… that there is even less space for the water to go and so now, the flood water has gone much further than it ever did before.”
Mother of two Ms Fischer-Jenkins went on to add: “The rugby club have got no access and to see the car park with a car submerged in it, I don’t think many people have seen that before in the area.”
Cardiff BMX club secretary, Gideon Jones, said the track in Llanrumney needed to be constructed at an elevated level and that this protected it from major flooding damage.
He added: “We obviously need to wait until the flooding subsides [to] access safely but we aim to open as soon as possible.
“We are very fortunate when compared to other facilities such as the rugby club whose pitches are all completely under water.
“We know the Council are looking into the impact that the Rumney River has when it bursts its banks and hope this will be improved in the future.
“Unfortunately the reen which runs alongside the rugby pitches and our track towards Rumney river has been blocked for a number of years and this will have a large impact to the water being able to evacuate quickly, we hope this will be resolved by the Council as soon as possible.”
A planning report from 2021, when the plans for the BMX site were approved, states that the council’s operational manager for flooding and coastal risk management was consulted on the proposal for the track but made no representation.
The report also states: “The site is within a C1 (protected) flood zone where national and local policies seek to direct vulnerable development away from these areas.
“The proposal is not considered vulnerable development and would not undermine flood conveyance and storage within the area and as a result the proposal is considered to accord with national and local policies on flooding.”
A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “Llanrumney Fields is a designated flood plain, designed to flood when the River Rhymney breaches its banks and reduce the risk of flooding affecting property.
“This role was considered during the planning process, and the development deemed to comply with flood policy, with no evidence to suggest that construction of the BMX track has increased this risk.
“Under Schedule 3 of The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 all new developments of greater than 100m2 which includes the BMX track, require approval by the Council in its role as the sustainable drainage approving body.
“This process deals with the impact of rainwater. It is separate to the planning process and is granted and considered after planning permission is granted.
“Current planning applications before the Council seek to regularise the development ‘as built’ on site, including amendments to previously-approved drainage arrangements within the site.
“While the Council is aware that the reen adjacent to the site is partially blocked, it is still operating effectively.
“The clearance of the reen, which connects downstream to a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, would have an environmental impact that cannot be justified on the basis of the BMX track.
“Cardiff BMX Club have been advised that this is the case and are now working with Cardiff Council’s Parks team to develop a new wetland area for rainwater to discharge into.”
A spokesperson for NRW said: “NRW provided comments on the formal planning application in 2021 and offered no objection to the proposal which has since been approved.
“A Flood Consequences Assessment (FCA) was produced as part of the planning application which demonstrated that ground levels within the site will not change considerably and conveyance routes will not be blocked or obstructed, so the impact upon flood risk will not be worsened.”
