April 2024 Meeting: How Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoirs were saved

(Cymraeg)

Main speaker: Richard Cowie: How Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoirs were saved.
Secondary speaker: Nor'dzin Pamo, one of our members: Tangling.

How Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoirs were saved.

Richard began with the history of the resevoirs. 
In the early 19th century Cardiff had around 6,000 residents, but by 1900, this had grown to around 142,000. This was because of the importance of Cardiff for the coal industry, and for the iron and steel industry in Merthyr Tydfil.

In 1832 and 1849 there were two outbreaks of cholera, and John Snow identified contaminated drinking water as the cause in 1854. This led to Health Boards being set up in the major cities across Britain.

This in turn led to to the creation of Lisvane and Llanishen reservoirs. 

Lisvane Reservoir, completed in 1865, covers 20 acres, and Llanishen Reservoir, completed in 1886, covered 60 acres.

An extension was made to the Rhymney railway line to enable stone to be more easily brought to the site for building Llanishen Reservoir.

Later filter bed were created off Allensbank Road, Heath.

The Taf Fawr scheme was set up by John Avery Brandon Williams. This connected three reservoirs by a 30 mile pipe to Llanishen reservoir. The three reservoirs were Beacons, Cantref, and Llwyn Onn.

The reservoirs supplied Cardiff into the 1960s, but after droughts in that decade, a new reservoir was established near Pontypool, north of Newport, and the Taf Fawr scheme became redundant. Llanishen was kept as an emergency water supply, but was mostly used for recreation from then on: the sailing school, fly fishing, walking, bird watching.

Richard then gave an account of the changes of ownership of Llanishen Reservoir from 1970 and the threat to its existence. Lisvane was not under threat because it had been declared an area of special scientific interest (SSSI), but Western Power Distribution (WPD) wanted to drain and build houses on the site of Llanishen reservoir.

The Reservoir Action Group (RAG) was set up in 2001 to campaign to save Llanishen Reservoir. There was a huge response with already 1,200 members by 2002.

WPD put in a planning application for 350 houses on the site in 2002.

Fortunately for RAG, a rare type of fungi was found on the embankments of the reservoir, and these were declared a SSSI site in 2006.

WPD adapted their plans, retaining the embankments, but still intending to destroy and build 325 houses on most of the reservoir land.

Referring back to the Taf Fawr scheme, Richard explained that Cadw had already adopted Cantref and LLwyn Onn reservoirs. In 2009 they were persuaded to also adopt Beacons and Llanishen reservoirs, so that the whole scheme was included.

WPD did not want to give up, however, and eventually there was a public inquiry. They lost!

Celsa then became the owners of the reservoirs and they granted a 999 lease to Welsh Water. They overhauled the Victorian plumbing so that the reservoir could be refilled in 2019. In 2023 a visitor centre was opened and RAG was disbanded as its job was completed.

The reservoirs are a lovely place to visit and for walking, but visitors must keep to the paths. Dogs are not allowed because of the fungi which would be killed by dog pee.

Richard showed us the book he has written about saving the reservoirs and offered it for sale to members.

It was a most interesting and enjoyable presentation.