Reservoir Action Group

The Reservoir Action Group (RAG) was founded on 4th December 2001 to fight plans by an American owned company, Western Power Distribution, to build a large housing development on the site of Llanishen Reservoir in North Cardiff.

After a long and ultimately successful campaign by RAG,  Western Power abandoned its plans to build on Llanishen reservoir in September 2013 and sold the site to Celsa Steel UK, which uses the water from Lisvane Reservoir at its Castle Works in Cardiff Bay.

On 20th January 2016 it was announced that Celsa had granted a 999 year lease for the reservoir site to Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water who have subsequently refilled Llanishen reservoir and allowed public access to the site for water sports and walking in a beautiful, peaceful setting.

The reservoirs and their surroundings are an area of outstanding nature conservation importance. Lisvane reservoir is a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) designated in 1972 for its wintering wildfowl, and the embankments of both reservoirs are a separate SSSI for their internationally important diversity of grassland fungi.  Llanishen Reservoir is also a listed structure of historic importance as a key part of the Victorian Taf Fawr scheme, which brought water from the Brecon Beacons to Cardiff.

The reservoirs are now run by Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water and further details of the available facilities and activities can be accessed on its website: https://lisvane-llanishen.com/

Having achieved its aims, the Reservoir Action Group held its final meeting on 24th October 2023 at the Llanishen and Lisvane Reservoirs Visitor Centre, and enacted its dissolution procedures.