Once a green space is lost - it is lost forever

Green spaces are vitally important for a host of things including our health and well-being, climate change adaptation, flood alleviation and our sense of place.

Welsh Government and Planning Policy Wales state that formal and informal open green spaces should be protected from development, particularly in urban areas where they fulfil multiple purposes.  

The councils own current LDP (link below) identifies Ystrad Mynach as one of the worst places in the Borough for access to green space as well as having a shortage of sports playing fields

https://apps.caerphilly.gov.uk/LDP/pdf/BP10-Leisure.pdf .

Remarkably – since the councils initial findings in this report, this situation has been worsened since losing 3 playing fields when Ysbyty Ystrad Fawr was built and compounded by recent flooding and sewage issues impacting on existing local sports pitches in the village.

The current proposal to expand the Trinity Fields school would see the loss of c30% of the usable green space in YM park as well as the villages last remaining viable sports field.

This latest decision to expand onto yet another green space was based on the content of an options feasibility study conducted approximately 2 years ago. Within that study we do not feel that the option of a new build at an alternative site was adequately explored with no explicit separate site being mentioned.

We would like CCBC to fully explore the development of Trinity Fields School and Resource Centre on a suitable brownfield site (a site that has previously been developed) with room for expansion to meet future demand in provision.  This could be a split site solution such as the Ysgol y Deri proposal in the Vale of Glamorgan which is providing a new primary school at an additional site for 150 additional pupils for £11m – in comparison, the proposal at Trinity Fields only creates an additional 80 places for £12.7m with no room for expansion.

The children and families of Trinity Fields deserve a better solution than this.

The community of Ystrad Mynach deserve a better solution than this.

If you feel as strongly as we do that our green spaces should be protected from over development for our future generations please sign our petition which will be presented to CCBC ahead of their decision to progress this proposal