APPROVED plans for a new railway station and business park on the Gwent Levels have been met with fierce opposition by campaigners working to protect the environment of the area.

Friends of the Gwent Levels says the planned Cardiff Parkway railway station – which will be built on farmland near St Mellons – is too big and will only encourage more car use.

Plans for the new railway station, along with a business park with buildings up to 15 storeys high, were approved by Cardiff Council on Wednesday, April 4.

A start date for construction has not been confirmed, but the station is due to open in 2024.

South Wales Argus: An artist's impression of Cardiff Parkway station. (Picture: Wilkinson Eyre)An artist's impression of Cardiff Parkway station. (Picture: Wilkinson Eyre)

The group has asked the Welsh Government to ‘call in’ the plans – a process by which the government would review the proposals of particular concern and make changes if necessary – noting that its concept predates a declaration of a biodiversity crisis by the Welsh Government, as well as the “seismic shift to work and health which has been brought about by covid.”

Catherine Linstrum, who founded Friends of the Gwent Levels back in 2020, says one of the primary problems with the station is the amount of car travel it could encourage.

“The idea of creating a parkway station is not what we should be doing,” Ms Linstrum told the Argus.

“There’s going to be 1,800 car park spaces which just seems completely out of touch and against the Burns commission, which is about encouraging active travel.

South Wales Argus: The Gwent Levels is a place of significant historical interest. (Sam Antoniou)The Gwent Levels is a place of significant historical interest. (Sam Antoniou)

“We’re really upset about it because it goes against the Future Generations Act. What we would like to see is a reduced, modest station that encourages active travel – not more cars on our roads.”

The Burns Commission was formed after the planned M4 relief road was scrapped in 2019, and has since produced a number of recommendations aimed at increasing public transport use in and around Newport. The Welsh Government's Wellbeing of Future Generations Act requires public bodies to consider the long-term impact of any decision.

A neighbouring business park also now has planning permission with 90,000sqm of commercial floorspace, which could include buildings up to 15 storeys high.

Ms Linstrum believes that the proposed office space is unnecessary and should be focussed on locations in the city centre.

“The amount of empty office space available in city centres right now is shocking,” she added.

“Cardiff is full of new buildings – there’s absolutely no need for it. It feels like we’re stuck in a time warp because this idea was cooked up 20 odd years ago – we’ve moved on from then.”

South Wales Argus: Cardiff Parkway development map. (Picture: Arup)Cardiff Parkway development map. (Picture: Arup)

The development is being privately built by Cardiff Parkway Developments Ltd, with backing from the Welsh Government. Most new train stations tend to be built by the public sector.

Developers have previously said the new railway station would mean journeys to Cardiff Central in seven minutes, and the business park would have the potential to provide 6,000 jobs.

The Welsh Government has been approached for comment.