What discussions have the Cabinet Secretary and officials had with Natural Resources Wales in relation to planned tree felling works in Roath Mill Gardens and Roath Brook Gardens?
As flood risk management now falls within my portfolio, I met with Natural Resources Wales (NRW) together with officials on 11 December, to discuss the Roath Flood Alleviation Scheme. This meeting came in light of concerns expressed by a number of people in the area.
I wanted NRW, the responsible flood authority in this case, to provide additional clarity and demonstrate that, on balance, the best option had been selected to deliver the necessary flood mitigation measures whilst minimising the impact of the scheme on the community and the area.
NRW explained to me why they chose the options they have and the tree felling is an unfortunate necessity in order to carry out the works. In replanting trees to replace those lost they are seeking to re-establish the character of the original period landscape and this means that in some cases they are replacing the existing trees with fewer trees in order to have different specimens that need more room to grow. In other cases NRW are planting more trees and planting additional trees on adjacent sites.
On balance, I am persuaded that NRW, faced with difficult choices, have selected the best option for the scheme with the least impact on the area.