if
it's about Cardiff..
Sport, Entertainment, Transportation, Business,
Development Projects, Leisure, Eating, Drinking,
Nightlife, Shopping, Train Spotting! etc.. then we want it here!
After Wales Eye first highlighted the state of one of Wales’ major tourist attractions, and amid pressure from local families, work has begun to change the appearance.
But serious concerns remain about the look of Cardiff bay.
Some areas of the bay have been transformed with work progressing at key points.Builders are continuing to create a Welsh ‘media village’ at Roath lock which is already home to BBC Wales TV drama series such as Casualty.
The site has been earmarked as a possible location for the BBC Wales headquarters and Welsh language broadcaster S4C.
But developers and property experts were deeply concerned that the appearance of the area could be putting off potential companies who might be prepared to invest in the multi-million pound project.
Wales Eye reported on the issue on December 27 (see http://tmblr.co/ZwCEOs12MxOc2).Even now grafitti on walls and litter bins remains, despite the huge sums of money which have been spent already.
The cost of redeveloping the 3,000 acre Cardiff bay and docklands site has been put at £2.4 billion including at least £500 million of public money.
According to reports nine years ago the barrage alone cost £400 million to build and £20 million a year in public money is spent to maintain it.
At least 30,000 new jobs were promised for Cardiff bay but the result has been only two thirds of this figure - and 15,000 people were employed in the area before.
Some local families believe little has been done to offset the jobs which have been lost and the environment has improved too slowly.bBut as work has continued campaigners believe they have now begun to win the battle over the area’s appearance.
Barry Smith of Cardiff said: "The scene has been transformed after pressure was put on, but there is still a lot more to do.
"This is a hugely-important area for Cardiff."
An original aim for Cardiff bay was to "provide a superb environment."
This may now be starting to happen, although it is a long way from superb.
The website (in the about us section) states that it is there to scrutinise Welsh Politics and the Assembly. Not too sure how neutral it is as I believe Mr Hill has benefitted quite well from the Assembly (director of Positif Politics, chair of various boards etc). Any chance we can stop Bay bashing anytime soon and perhaps move on to other areas of the city? Cathays with it's never ending to let signs, front gardens piled high with rubbish perhaps?
It's a piss-poor website run by ex-BBC Wales journalist Phil Parry (hence the tabloid spin). He is OK at getting gossip from former Beeb colleagues but that's about it.
I've no idea why Daran Hill has lowered himself to write for it.
