Taking action to halt a planning application
Find out how petitions, posters, press briefings and public meetings were used to pressure a local council to withdraw development plans and protect the Rumney Recreation Ground.
Located between the districts of Llanrumney and Rumney in eastern Cardiff, Rumney Recreation Ground is a nine-hectare space, well-used for play and team sports.
It is popular with the whole community, catering for children, young people, the elderly and families. Local people treasure this green oasis among the densely populated urban surroundings.
Local people were outraged when Cardiff City Council had plans to build a new school on the recreation ground. So, they formed the RREEL (Rumney Recreation and Eastern Leisure) Action Group to act on behalf of the affected neighbourhoods and all those who used the green space and started campaigning.
The group made sure the campaign was politically neutral and inclusive. They organised a referendum with thousands of local people taking part, demonstrating the overwhelming opposition to any development on the Rumney Recreation Ground.
The group used petitions, posters, press briefings and public meetings to keep up the pressure and created a 140-page dossier of objections, and were successful in challenging the councils’ application for Planning Assent. As a result, Cardiff City Council changed their approach, withdrew the plans and protected the recreation ground with Fields in Trust.
See how others have made a difference
Rescuing a loved local park
Learn how a group of local residents campaigned to get Parc Llewelyn protected forever with Fields in Trust, so it could be enjoyed by generations to come.
Saving a village playing field
Discover how the village of Stradishall rallied together to run a community fundraising campaign to purchase a village playing field.