Cardiff Council has submitted a Listed Building Consent application for works to Roath Park Dam, prior to improvement works starting in Autumn 2021.
Roath Park Lake, in the heart of Cardiff, is in one of the city’s most-loved parks. Although known as a lake, it is actually a manmade reservoir, formed by a dam structure along the promenade by the lighthouse and fed by the Nant Fawr Brook.
The dam structure includes the reservoir’s spillway, which is the waterfall beside the café. It is a Listed Grade II Building of Architectural or Historic Interest.
Cardiff Council is responsible for the lake’s maintenance and is required to undertake regular inspections (under the Reservoirs Act 1975). The last inspection found that the spillway would not be large enough to withstand a theoretical extreme flooding event and improvements are therefore required.
Cardiff Council has appointed Arup, a leading engineering consultancy, to undertake a study to identify the best options for ensuring the future effectiveness of the dam.
Councillor Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Recycling and Environment said,”Climate change means we are likely to have more frequent and more intensive storms in Cardiff, so the dam spillway needs to be able to cope with the potential for these more extreme weather events.
“Roath Park is one of Cardiff’s most loved parks, and a full public engagement programme is planned prior to works commencing, so that residents, businesses, and park users, are fully informed.
“The detailed study that will commence later this year, and the improvement works that will follow, will ensure the future effectiveness of the dam so the park can continue to be enjoyed safely as the impacts of climate change become increasingly obvious.”
