Volume Twelve - Pre-Victorian to the Present Day - further aspects - A History of Penarth Dock by Roy Thorne . . .

Nevertheless, it led to the construction of the Queen Alexandra Dock at Cardiff which was opened in 1907. As the Queen Alexandra Dock at Cardiff and the No. 2 Barry Dock were being built in 1896 the Penarth Company became afraid of competition and applied to Parliament for powers to build a new dock on the mud flats between the Rivers Taff and Ely.

The Penarth Company argued that as during the previous decade coal exports from South Wales ports had shown an average yearly increase of over 600,000 tons there was a need for a new dock. Parliament refused permission.

Previously in 1880, the manager of the Bute Docks, W. T. Lewis (afterwards Lord Merthyr) had expressed the view that as coalfield development was fast approaching its zenith the provision of new docks would be wasteful. [614] No doubt Louis was protecting the Bute interest, but he proved to be correct by 1913 when the trade did reach its peak.

Although the contemplated dock was to be part of the Penarth Dock system, and Mr. Beesley the General Manager of the T.V.R. was secretary to the promotors, the intention was to set up an independent company.

It was to be known as the Windsor Dock and named after Lord Windsor the land owner. The T.V.R. apparently wanted to avoid litigation with the Bute Company similar to the legal debate in 1873 regarding the Leasing Act of 1863.

The promoters again applied to Parliament in 1897, and in an effort to overcome previous objections this second plan had two main differences from the first. The site was to be farther inland and to take in 77 acres rather than the original 112 acres. The planned dock was to be 26½ acres in area, and to have a total quayage of 4,915 feet. It was estimated that it would take seven years to build at a cost of £854,000.

In an effort to strengthen their case the promoters said that they would bear a proportion of the dredging cost of the entrance channel which would serve both the Bute Docks and the new dock. Parliament refused permission, and also again in 1898, and so the plan was abandoned.