Ruperra Castle

A Letter from the Assembly but still No Decision

In response to an enquiry from Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust, a letter was received, dated November 4th 2009, from Mr John Eliot of the Decisions Branch of the Welsh Assembly Planning Division.It says:
"The appeal is currently receiving urgent consideration but has taken longer to deal with than anticipated. However I can assure you that the decision will be issued as soon as possible and that your representations will be considered in reaching that decision."

Let's hope we can announce the result, whatever it may be, at our annual dinner on November 20th at 7 pm at the Hollybush Inn in Draethen. There are still some places avaiable for this event. The guest speaker is Dan Clayton Jones, chairman of the Heritage Lottery Board Committee for Wales. If you wish to join us please email Pat Jones-Jenkins (patjonesjenkins@googlemail.com) or phone 01656 741622 by Monday 16th November. The cost is £18 per person and the menu is below.

1.Our chefs choice of homemade soup
2.Chicken liver pate cranberry and orange chutney
3.Oriental vegetarian spring rolls sweet chilli dip
4.Sauté mushrooms with garlic cream sauce
5.Chilled Melon with red berries
******
1.Roast sirloin of beef served with Yorkshire pudding
2.Roast of turkey with seasonal trimmings
3.Loin of pork with peppercorn sauce
4.Mushroom risotto with pesto and tomato
5.Cajun style Salmon mango mayonnaise
6.Roast lamb with rosemary and red wine jus

Selection of seasonal vegetables and potatoes
******
1.Homemade Christmas Pudding with brandy cream Sauce
2.Crème brulee with caramelised pineapple
3.Belgian chocolate marquise roulade orange mascarpone cream
4.Panetonne trifle red berry cream
5.Honey and hazelnut parfait vanilla ice cream

Still No Result

The latest news about the results of the Public Inquiry is as follows.
John Elliott from WAG has advised that a decision has not yet been made regarding Ruperra due to work load – Mr Elliott confirmed that he would look at this as soon as possible.

In the meantime Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust is carrying on with its normal programme of events, which is as follows

RCPT first AGM
Tuesday October 20h 7.30 pm Rudry Village Hall. Coffee and biscuits will be served. All are welcome. Post Code CF83 3DN

RCPT first Annual Dinner
Friday 20th November at the Hollybush Inn Draethen. Please complete and return the enclosed form if you wish to attend.

On going through the current membership list, we notice the names and addresses from other parts of England and Wales We are so glad that you have joined us in our common cause but also sad that it is almost impossible for you to take part in Trust events. Please be assured that your support is greatly appreciated.

The above is an extract from the current news sheet recently sent out to members. If you would like to become a member - membership is only £5 pa at present - please email patjonesjenkins@googlemail.com. Alternatively you can download a membership form from an earlier part of this website. If you wish to attend the dinner please email as above for a form and a menu.

We look forward to hearing from you and seeing you. It is good to have companions in our long wait

Early September for the Inquiry Verdict

We have been informed that there should be news of the results of the Ruperra Public Inquiry on or before September 4 2009. We will post it here of course.

A very enjoyable evening at Rudry Village Hall on August 1

This was a successful evening, with over sixty people celebrating the first anniversary of Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust. Jant Wilding, chairman of the Trust welcomed everyone and Commander John Curteis, president of the Trust, made presentations to some of the expert witnesses to thank them for their appearance at the Public Inquiry. An explanation of the processes of the Public Inquiry was given and the Trust’s present strategies for finding a solution for the castle were outlined. There was plenty of food and drink - pear cider and 'peartiser' were again chosen as drinks in response to the name Rhiwperra - the hill of pear trees. After eating, the assembled company settled down to watch a preview of a DVD expertly produced by Tom and Monty Dart of Newport and narrated by Matthew Davies. It was entitled 'From Celtic Mysteries to Courtly Masques' and described the influences of Sir Thomas Morgan's early ancestors and his later experiences at the Welsh Earl of Pembroke's home at Wilton House, resulting in the bilding of Ruperra Castle..

As you will have realised there has still been no news of the results of the Public Inquiry. We will have to continue to be patient.

Ruperra Buffet Saturday 1 August - will we know the news?

We have been told by the Planning Inspectorate that the Inspector's report has been sent to the Minister in the Assembly. We hope to know her decision by the end of July. Perhaps we can announce it at the buffet!

We are sure you will enjoy the buffet and the DVD. If you can come, don't forget to send a SAE for your ticket and a map of how to get to Rudry Village Hall.

No News Yet

The seven weeks' deadline has come and gone and we have not heard the Inspector's recommendation for Ruperra Castle.
As soon as we have news it will be posted here.

We intend to have an anniversary buffet and DVD showing on August 1st so please keep watching this space for further details.

The Rest of the Public Inquiry April 22 - 24 2009

Here is an article about the Inquiry published on Tuesday 22 April in the South Wales Echo.
To continue the week’s progress, (RCPT) Ruperra Castle Preservation Trust’s evidence and questioning took the whole of Wednesday, mostly due to the Appellant’s barrister’s insistence on wasting everybody’s time by quibbling, for example over the credentials of the expert witnesses, a process very insulting to professionals giving their opinions based on their research and knowledge The Inspector had constantly to request him to keep to the point.

Thursday saw the last of RCPT’s evidence and questioning and Cadw and the Ancient Monuments Society followed. RCPT’s Quantity Surveyor made a heroic effort to attend on Friday morning having been quite seriously ill earlier in the week. Again his expertise was questioned but he rose superbly to the occasion, causing the barrister for Caerphilly County Council to say in his closing submissions later that he would much prefer to trust the Q S’s financial calculations than those of the Appellant’s financial adviser.

The rest of Friday morning was taken up with sending for the Appellant’s solicitor to attend to verify that the Appellant’s Company which had signed the agreement with the County Council for the Section 106 Conditions, did in fact still exist. The Inspector then proceeded as quickly as possible through the Conditions.

Then an application for costs was put in by the Appellant’s barrister claiming that his client had been led to believe that both the Local Authority and Cadw had been in favour of the housing proposals which had been turned down by the Planning Councillors through the lobbying of a small group. Again the Council’s barrister replied that the reasons for refusal had been on planning grounds in accordance with the County Council’s Unitary Development Policy and that this was how democracy worked. Members of RCPT will surely be glad to hear that the Council’s barrister also said the ‘small lobbying group’ was not simply a local pressure group but a well established Charitable Trust who had gained the support of five national experts to appear for them.

He also said that the Appellant’s agent could have put together the same expert team as RCPT had, to prove their case. The agent had not required the attendance of the Appellant’s architect, structural engineer or financial adviser to give evidence. He said that it 'beggared belief that the Appellant could now put in such a claim for costs.’

Although the Appellant’s barrister had typed up and photocopied his request for costs from the County Council in good time, he had not, unlike all the other barristers and advocates prepared his final statement in time for the last session and had to give the Inspector a handwritten copy. And throughout the week while complaining that he had not received various documents from other participants, did not in fact provide at the right time, several that the Inspector had particularly asked for.

The whole week was extremely interesting and indeed entertaining most of the time. RCPT were really pleased to see so many supporters. Many said that they had attended each day because it was so exciting and although not really intending to at first they had become so enthralled that they didn’t want to miss anything! RCPT’s barrister was superb and seemed to enjoy the week as much as everyone else!

The Inspector will be sending his report to the Minister in seven weeks' time. Then we will have to wait until she has made her decision. We hope to send out a more detailed account of the proceedings to the members of RCPT in due course.

The barristers/advocates of all the opposing Status 6 (6) groups in the Inquiry requested that the Inspector should reject the appeal and were united in their reasons, which we all surely know by now, but here is a list.

Harm to the historic setting and countryside
Harm to the setting of the listed glasshouse and historic gardens
Lack of detailed surveys in the application particularly archaeological
Introduction of inappropriate features on the site – tarmacked roads, urbanised gardens, street lighting, general fragmentation of the site.
No details of the design of the houses.
No programme for immediate remedial work particularly to the Castle.
The owner hadn’t looked at any other options except enabling development.

To finish, some memorable quotes –
The Appellant’s agent describing the proposed houses one each side of the listed grade II glasshouse to be like bookends supporting it.

The same agent describing the new ponds to the south of the Castle which will harm important archaeology as ‘two dimensional’ and therefore of no threat.

Ruperra Castle

Sunday, November 08, 2009

A Letter from the Assembly but still No Decision

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Still No Result

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Early September for the Inquiry Verdict

Thursday, August 06, 2009

A very enjoyable evening at Rudry Village Hall on August 1

Wednesday, July 08, 2009

Ruperra Buffet Saturday 1 August - will we know the news?

Monday, June 22, 2009

No News Yet

Saturday, April 25, 2009

The Rest of the Public Inquiry April 22 - 24 2009