Adamsdown Councillor, Nigel Howells, today posted this briefing note on community communication platform, Nextdoor, and kindly agreed that Inksplott could share it with its readers. Here is an update on the situation, past and present, with the Citadel:
Following the tragic incident on Tuesday in Adamsdown, officers from the local authority have been supporting the emergency services and Network Rail to make the area around the Citadel safe, and to assist South Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive with the investigation into the cause of the building’s collapse.
The following briefing has been prepared to give you background on the building, an update on the current situation and plans moving forward.
Permission to demolish the Citadel was given to the building’s owner in November 2016. This followed on from a report in June 2016 which was prepared on behalf of Network Rail in advance of them starting work on Splott Road Bridge.
That report highlighted that the works they were due to carry out on the bridge could affect the rear of the Citadel facing the railway lines.
The two sides of the building along Splott Road and Pearl Street were, however, found to be in good structural condition and, therefore, not deemed to be a risk to members of the public.
After receiving this report, the Council arranged a meeting between Network Rail and the owner of the Citadel in August, 2016.
That meeting was to discuss how Network Rail’s work on Splott Road Bridge may affect the Citadel and what would be required to maintain the building’s safety while work was ongoing.
At that meeting, the Council agreed with the owner that he would seal off the Citadel, preventing public access to the building.
Cardiff Council then received the application to demolish the Citadel from the building’s owner and permission was granted.
Responsibility for the demolition lies with the owner and or contractor/s hired to take down the building.
South Wales Police and the Health and Safety Executive have now begun an investigation to establish the exact cause of the collapse.
There doesn’t appear to be any direct impact on neighbouring properties. There is one unoccupied building next door.
The Health and Safety Executive has commissioned Cardiff Demolition to begin taking down the rest of the building, once they have concluded their evidence gathering.
Officers from the Council’s Building Regulations team saw no visible evidence of asbestos in the area earlier today. The age of the building suggests that no asbestos is present on site. However, as the church has been cordoned off by South Wales Police, council officers will be confirming this with the owner, as they should have commissioned an asbestos survey prior to demolition.
Network Rail will have to review its programme to ascertain what effect this incident will have on their schedule. As Cardiff Demolition is being brought in by the HSE to take the building down, the schedule may remain unaffected.
Highway Asset inspectors visited the site yesterday to discuss traffic management plans with the PCSO for the area.
Presently, any resident(s) wanting to exit via Diamond Street/Agate Street are being marshalled by South Wales Police – out through Pearl Street where they have removed the bollards after the bingo hall fire.
From today, Forest Traffic Management will take over – implementing a lane closure at the front of the church and reinstating the traffic management set up for Network Rail on Splott Road.
It was thought the roads might open this afternoon however, in order to maintain the integrity of the site, the police are not in a position to authorise them reopening at this present time.