A ROW broke out today between Labour-run Cardiff Council and the Welsh government over planning permission for a new mainline railway station in the city.

Council leader Huw Thomas wrote to First Minister Eluned Morgan branding her government’s two-year delay in planning permission “inexplicable” and “indefensible.”

Cardiff Council granted planning permission for Cardiff Parkway station and business park in St Mellons in April 2022.

The Welsh Labour-run government used its powers to call in major infrastructure projects to review the council’s planning decision.

Cardiff Parkway would bring a mainline station to the St Mellons area of eastern Cardiff, with developers also proposing to build a business park alongside the station.

The new station is planned to become a major transport hub which would avoid the need for local people to travel into Newport and central Cardiff to catch mainline trains.

Campaigners have questioned the scale of the business park, which they claimed could put local biodiversity at risk.

In December, the FM was asked in the Senedd about the delay and Ms Morgan said the matter had “taken far too long” and said a decision would be made in a few weeks.

Following the letter from the council, a Welsh government spokesperson said: “Consultation is ongoing with organisations and individuals about the development. 

“Views need to be provided by 15 January. A decision will be made following consideration of the representations received.”

Mr Thomas also said in his letter that the delay in considering the application risked Wales’s reputation with investors in infrastructure projects.

The row about the delays by the Welsh government will embarrass UK Labour after Sir Keir Starmer pledged to streamline the planning system for major projects to get the economy growing.