I recently went to visit the Llanishen Reservoir and was shocked by what I saw. What had once been a welcoming and tranquil place now seemed more like a prison camp.
There is a dreadful spiked fence surrounding the reservoir and behind this fence, there is a security guard and two huge dogs who bark wildly at any walkers with dogs or even at the sound of any other dog barking in the neighbourhood. It is no longer a place where people can walk in peace and quiet and enjoy the scenery.
Added to this is the fact that the water level now seems much lower. This not only looks much less attractive, but also poses a threat to the Llanishen Sailing Centre and to all those who enjoy activities on the water.
This all seems very worrying.
There has been magnificent local campaign to save the reservoirs, but things certainly look gloomy at the moment and it would be easy to get discouraged, especially since Western Power Distribution (WPD) have now submitted a fourth planning application to develop the site.
But this has been a long campaign and we must keep on at it. I'm due to meet with WPD next week and will continue to press for the preservation of the reservoir. Concreting any part of it and building houses would be a huge mistake. Not only would this mean the loss of a place of physical beauty, but it would also mean traffic problems and a great deal of disturbance to the area.
Surely there must be something that the local authority can do to stop the development of the area?
Until an acceptable solution is reached, we must fight on - we must continue to make waves. |
