Private prototype. Facts from research on 2 to 3 October 2026; not yet reviewed for publication. Forms do not submit.

All schemes

Decision pendingWales, Wales

Cardiff East Park and Ride data centre

Hybrid application 26/00109/HYB (received by Cardiff Council 16 January 2026) for a data centre campus on the former park and ride is undecided. Welsh Government issued a holding direction, reported as dated 24 August 2026 (Brit Brief), which stops the council granting permission while allowing it to keep processing and to refuse. Councillors have asked ministers to call it in; no formal call-in and no committee date found as at 3 October 2026. [S1] [S2] [S3] [S5] [S6]

Key facts

Status
Decision pending (application submitted) [S1] [S2] [S3] [S5] [S6]
Decided by
Cardiff Council as local planning authority, restricted by a Welsh Government holding direction (cannot grant while it stands); Welsh Ministers could still call the application in, but no call-in was found [S1] [S2] [S3] [S6]
Applicant
Curtis Hall Ltd [S2] [S4] [S8] [S9]
Developer or backer
Site owner per DCD is Curtis Hall Limited; consultation run by Iceni Projects
References
26/00109/HYB
Location
The former Cardiff East Park and Ride (hospital park and ride, about 900 to 1,000 spaces) off Eastern Avenue (A48), Llanrumney, east Cardiff, with a new bridge across the Rhymney River and relief road linking the A48 and Llanrumney. Size reported as 23.4 ha by Herald.Wales (December 2025) and 'about 40 acres' (c.16 ha) by DCD and Voice.Cymru; objectors describe it as ten football fields. [S1] [S2] [S4] [S8] [S9] [S10] [S14]
Buildings
Three data centre buildings, onsite substation, ancillary energy facilities, admin and storage building (DCD, from application documents) [S2] [S9] [S10]
Backup generators
Backup diesel generators for emergencies, tested weekly one at a time for 30 minutes; a 72-hour grid outage scenario was assessed (revised air quality assessment, April 2026). Number not found. ACORN claims 24/7 gas and diesel generator operation (campaigner claim, unverified). [S2] [S7] [S13] [S14]
Cooling and water
Objectors claim potentially 600,000 litres of water a day (campaigner claim, Voice.Cymru) and electricity use equal to 100,000 homes (Herald.Wales); applicant figures not found [S2] [S7] [S13] [S14]
Designations
Sensitive receptors named in the air quality reporting: Glan-yr-Afon Primary School, homes and care homes nearby; Site borders the Rhymney River (bridge proposed); flood risk assessment in the application (consultation site) [S2] [S6] [S7] [S8] [S9] [S10]
Previous use
Hospital park and ride (bus service withdrawn January 2023; used as temporary hospital car park since a 2023 council permission). DCD reports a demolition and redevelopment permission granted in June 2024 (business park and relief road, per Herald.Wales 'approved about two years prior'). [S2] [S6] [S7] [S8] [S9] [S10]
Public objections
1301 [S2] [S7] [S13] [S14]

Timeline

  1. 18 December 2025
    Pre-application consultation announced via cardiffeastparkandride.com (feedback to 4 January 2026); Herald.Wales cites over 500 construction jobs and up to 125 operational jobs (developer figures). [S8] [S10]
  2. 16 January 2026
    Hybrid application 26/00109/HYB received by Cardiff Council: demolition and redevelopment for a data centre, associated buildings, car parking, access roads, bridge across the Rhymney River, landscaping. [S5] [S9]
  3. 25 May 2026
    Petition to the Senedd against the replacement submitted; rejected as inadmissible because it asks the Senedd to intervene in planning decisions (over 2,600 signatures). [S11]
  4. 19 June 2026
    Nation.Cymru reports the plans to demolish the park and ride and build a data centre, with local activists and Senedd members raising concerns. [S4]
  5. 2 July 2026
    Residents (ACORN Cardiff, 'Ditch the Data Centre') attend Cardiff Council planning committee to oppose the scheme. [S13]
  6. 24 August 2026
    Welsh Government planning directorate issues a holding direction, on behalf of the Cabinet Secretary, preventing the council granting permission (reported by Brit Brief on 4 September). [S6]
  7. 3 September 2026
    Nation.Cymru reports Cllr Joe Carter urging Welsh ministers to take over the decision (call in the application). [S3]
  8. 4 September 2026
    Nation.Cymru reports that the Welsh Government has issued a holding direction over the application, preventing Cardiff Council from proceeding with a decision for now. [S1]
  9. 8 September 2026
    Herald.Wales article (dated 8 September in the discovery lead) reports Cllrs Joe Carter and Dan Naughton wrote to the Planning Minister asking her to call in the application, enclosing a petition of 2,995 signatures; it says no decision has been made. It does not mention the holding direction in the extract read. [S2]
  10. 10 September 2026
    Herald.Wales reports on air quality: original assessment found short-term NO2 exceedance risk if backup generators ran over 30 minutes; revised April 2026 assessment judged emissions acceptable. [S7]
  11. 17 September 2026
    Nation.Cymru reports the developer and supporters accusing critics of 'scaremongering'. [S15]

Politicians and organisations

  • Cllr Joe Carter (Liberal Democrat, Pentwyn)
  • Cllr Dan Naughton
  • Nick Carter MS and Zaynub Akbar MS (Plaid Cymru) raised concerns (Herald.Wales); Voice.Cymru also lists Paul Rock MS (Green) and Dafydd Trystan Davies MS (Plaid Cymru) among objectors
  • ACORN Cardiff
  • Ditch the Data Centre (campaign group)
  • Local activists and hospital staff and patients concerned about parking

Claims

Claims by developers, campaigners or councils, recorded as claims and not checked as fact.

  • Curtis Hall Ltd spokesperson, as reported by Herald.Wales (developer): The scheme is designed in line with local planning policy and the site ceased operating as a park and ride due to significant operating costs and underuse. [S2]
  • Cllr Joe Carter and Cllr Dan Naughton, as reported by Herald.Wales (campaigners): The scheme would use the electricity of 100,000 homes and potentially 0.6 million litres of water a day, and is equivalent to 10 football fields. [S2]
  • Cllr Joe Carter (Liberal Democrat, Pentwyn) (other): The proposals undermine the One Planet Cardiff strategy. [S2]
  • Senedd Research, per the discovery lead only; not found in any source read, and DCD (February 2026) says capacity is not disclosed (other): About 150MW capacity. [S9]
  • Curtis Hall Ltd / Iceni Projects consultation, as reported by Herald.Wales and on the consultation site (developer): Over 500 construction jobs and up to 125 operational jobs; new roundabout, bridge and relief road between the A48 and Llanrumney; flood risk reduction; improved Rhymney Trail access [S8] [S10]
  • Objectors quoted by Voice.Cymru (basis not stated) (campaigners): Estimated 600,000 litres of water a day and heat island increase of up to 9 degrees [S14]
  • Applicant's air quality assessments, as reported by Herald.Wales (developer): Backup diesel generator emissions are acceptable for protection of human health (revised April 2026 air quality assessment); the original assessment advised nearby residents to stay indoors if generators ran more than 30 minutes [S7]
  • Iceni Projects consultation report, as reported by DCD (developer): The park and ride 'is not subject to a formal arrangement' with the hospital; Cardiff Council is identifying an alternative park and ride site if the scheme is approved [S9]

Campaigns

Sources

  1. [S1] Data centre plans put on hold as ministers intervene. Nation.Cymru (Local Democracy Reporting Service), 4 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  2. [S2] Welsh Government urged to take over decision on controversial Cardiff data centre. Herald.Wales, 8 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  3. [S3] Welsh ministers urged to take over decision on controversial data centre plans. Nation.Cymru, 3 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  4. [S4] Plans to replace park and ride with huge data centre spark backlash. Nation.Cymru, 19 June 2026. Level 4 source.
  5. [S5] 26/00109/HYB - Cardiff Council application record (mirror). Build Support (mirror of Cardiff Council planning data). Level 7 source.
  6. [S6] Welsh Government could decide Cardiff data centre plans after holding directive. Brit Brief, 4 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  7. [S7] Air quality fears grow over proposed Cardiff data centre. Herald.Wales, 10 September 2026. Level 4 source.
  8. [S8] Cardiff East Park and Ride - consultation website. Curtis Hall Ltd / Iceni Projects. Level 3 source.
  9. [S9] Data center campus could replace park and ride facility that services Wales' largest hospital. DatacenterDynamics, 6 February 2026. Level 5 source.
  10. [S10] Plans unveiled to build new data centre on Cardiff East Park and Ride. Herald.Wales, 18 December 2025. Level 4 source.
  11. [S11] Stop Cardiff Council from replacing the Pentwyn Park and Ride with a data centre. Senedd Cymru petitions, 25 May 2026. Level 1 source.
  12. [S12] Oppose the closure of Cardiff East Park and Ride - Reference: 26/00109/HYB. Change.org (Carolyn Lewis), 4 July 2026. Level 6 source.
  13. [S13] Cardiff residents fight back against data centre plans. ACORN the Union, 7 July 2026. Level 6 source.
  14. [S14] People In East Cardiff Don't Want A Huge Data Centre Built In Their Backyard. Voice.Cymru. Level 4 source.
  15. [S15] Critics accused of 'scaremongering' over controversial data centre plans. Nation.Cymru (LDRS), 17 September 2026. Level 4 source.