Rhiwbina Living 61

news
Six new
skateparks
proposed for
Cardiff
A plan to invest in Cardiff’s
skatepark infrastructure which
could see six new skateparks
built by 2032 and many existing
skateparks converted into modern
concrete-built layouts, has been
agreed by Cardiff Council.
The ‘Skateboard Amenities
Strategy,’ which was developed by
Cardiff Council with the support of
internationally renowned skate park
consultants Van de Zalm and New
Line Skate Parks, aims to support
and grow the skateboarding
community, foster a diverse user
group, and create skate amenities
that support a wide range of uses
and skill levels.
Cabinet Member for Culture, Parks
and Events, Cllr Jennifer Burke, told
the press:
“We want as many people as
possible to take part in physical
activity and the great thing about
skateboarding is that, as well as
being a relatively low-cost sport
to get involved in, it also appeals
to people of all ages – from young
children and teenagers, to older
skaters, some of who are now
introducing their own kids to the
sport.
“Modern, purpose-built
concrete skateparks are quieter,
higher quality, and require less
maintenance than wooden and
steel-framed facilities and will
ensure Cardiff’s vibrant and diverse
skateboard community can
continue to grow and thrive.”
The strategy could see four new
destination skateparks built across
the city, serving north, east, west
and centre of Cardiff.
Each facility would be more than
1,200m².
4
Cardiff Bus
announce changes
Cardiff Bus has announced service
changes from March 31st, in response
to the conclusion of the Welsh
Government’s Bus Transition Fund
(BTF) support scheme.
The scheme, which provided stability
during and post pandemic by funding
the bus network Wales-wide for all
operators, will come to its planned
end. Like all operators, Cardiff Bus
will now need to return to the prepandemic
business model which
sees the vast majority of its services
operating based on the level of use
by its customers.
However, Welsh Government has
made some additional funding
available to help make the transition
as easy as possible for passengers.
A service will be introduced on
Mondays to Saturdays, Creigiau –
Pentyrch – Whitchurch – Cardiff City
Centre (136), which will be operated
by Cardiff Bus instead of Stagecoach
plus more frequent services between
Llandaff and the Heath Hospital.
Additional services between Cardiff
city centre and Barry have also been
announced.
Work starts
on Roath Park
Cycleway
Building work has started on the
first phase of Cardiff’s Roath Park
Cycleway.
As well as delivering a new
cycleway within Roath Park
Recreational Ground and improving
the footpaths, the work will also see
improvements to footways, highway
junctions, and bus travel, as well as
significantly increasing the capacity
of the drainage system around
Penylan Library and Community
Centre, which was prone to surface
water flooding.
The new footpaths in the playing
field will also include drainage
measures which will address some
of the existing issues where some
footpaths flood and are impassable
when it rains.
When completed, the wider
cycle route will run from the north
of Roath Park, near Cardiff High
School, to Newport Road, where it
will connect with another cycleway
(Cycleway 2) that will run to
Rumney, Llanrumney, and then onto
St Mellon Business Park.
Council seeks
to fill long-term
empty houses
Cardiff Council is proposing
tough new measures to help
bring long-term empty houses
in the city back into use.
At a meeting of the Council’s
Cabinet, councillors agreed
recommendations to raise the
council tax premium on some
empty properties to as much
as 300%.
In 2019 the Council introduced
a 50% Council Tax premium for
homes left unoccupied and
unfurnished for a year, and last
March increased this to 100%.
The new proposals would
see the premium increase
incrementally the longer the
house has been left, meaning
homes that have lain empty for
two years face a 200% charge
while homes that have been
empty for three years or more
will face the maximum 300%
premium.
Cllr Chris Weaver, the
Cabinet Member for
Finance, Modernisation and
Performance, said:
“Our aim is to help bring
empty homes back into use.
We are facing a housing crisis
and we must do everything
in our powers to help house
those people who need
accommodation. Bringing
empty homes back into use is
one way of helping.
“The longer these properties
remain out of use, the more
they become a blight on our
communities and become a
focus of fly tipping, nuisance,
vandalism and criminal activity
and if they are boarded up they
can reduce the appeal of an
area for everyone.”
Last year, there were 1,563
properties that had been
empty for more than six
months at any one time.