Canton Councillors plea to Cardiff City FC

Councillors say City refuse to communicate on resident concerns

COUNCILLORS are urging clear the air talks with Cardiff City FC as the possibility of Premier League football nears.

Canton Coun Ramesh Patel and Richard Cook both expressed concerns to Cardiff Evening News that since the new Malaysian consortium, headed by Dato Chan Tien Ghee, officially took over in May they have had no consultation with the club.

Coun Patel said: “It seems strange that the club don’t wish to interact with the local community. They have to remember we are their neighbours, even when the crowds go home we are still here.”

Coun Cook said: “I am concerned with the lack of dialogue. There are things which are already a problem like the parking chaos on match days.

“I would like to talk with them constructively about how we can improve this for all parties, as well as discussing changes to the current park and ride system,” he said.

Under the current park and ride system run by the club as part of planning permission conditions, fans are charged per person for the service. Cardiff Council’s own service for shoppers to the St David’s Centre from County Hall charges per car.

The service currently provides 1,500 car parking spaces. Average attendances at Cardiff City matches this season have been 22,578.

Coun Cook said: “The problems are difficult now, can you imagine what will happen if they get into the Premier League?

“We want this as much as anybody but we must plan for this eventually now for the benefit of all the residents of Canton, as well as fans.

When the move to the new stadium was announced in September 2007 an official club statement read: “The plans also include improvements to the streetscape and parking facilities in nearby Canton.”

Cardiff City were unavailable to comment.

Canton road change causes Cowbridge suffering

Stavros claims diverted traffic is killing business

Cardiff council has been accused of “strangling small business” after a road junction change in Canton.

The junction change, where Lansdowne Road and Cowbridge Road meet at the bottom end of Canton, was completed last year and naturally directs traffic coming into Cardiff up the A road, Lansdowne Road.

And it has allegedly caused a noticeable drop in foot-fall and passing trade on the Cowbridge Road shopping strip.

And local buisness’s now want the council to erect a sign telling passers by of their existence.

Stavros, owner of Stavros’s fish bar said: “ The road change has taken away a massive chunk of my business. I live and die on passing trade and now, if you haven’t been to Canton before you wouldn’t even know Cowbridge Road was here.”

Tim Fowler, of Canton Cobbler said: “We have seen a noticeable drop in traffic since the junction change. A sign could make a big difference to us, more passers by equals more trade.”

Richard Winder, owner of Richard’s Framing on the road: “Anything which can help in the time of a recession is a bonus. I can’t see any reason why it wouldn’t be a benefit.”

Kishwar Siddique who runs the Londis said: “It has made life very difficult for business’s at the end nearest the junction. People are just missing us all together.”

Canton Councillor Ramesh Patel said: “It’s something I will definately propose to Council. We need to make sure that Cowbridge Road continues to thrive and the council should be helping small business’s in this time.

“With business rates proposed to rise by 4.3 per cent I think the Council should be taking every measure it can to keep local business afloat and I see no reason why a sign wouldn’t help,” he said.

Canton cyclists frustration at illegal parking

At a time when Cardiff Council is encouraging more of us to ditch the car for the bike, the illegal parking in cycle lanes on Canton’s, Cowbridge Road makes it miserable to cycle.

Charlotte Cox, a psychology assistant said: “You don’t know when they are going to pull out, or open the door and if you go round them you might be knocked off by a bus,” she said.

Mike, who commutes to lecture at Cardiff University said: “Cowbridge Road is just getting worse. I commute every day and I have seen a traffic warden twice.”

Natalia Parslow, who cycles her young son to school before continuing to work said: “To be honest Cowbridge Road is so bad now, I’ll go out of my way to avoid it. I don’t care if it takes me longer.”

Canton Councillor, Cerys Furlong, who cycles up the road each day to work said: “The cycle lanes are a bit of a joke. I just stay with the flow of the traffic it is much safer.

The Council has added a further 10 traffic officers, and in a statement pledged to plough money from parking fines back into parking enforcement.

“Let’s see if they can back their words up with actions,” Coun Furlong said.

Councillor Richard Cook, a keen cyclist, would like to enforcement to be the beginning of a clearer cycling plan. “Enforcement is the beginning. A barrier or curb like in France may help, but for me ‘peletons’ of commuters, with experienced cyclists at the front and rear and less in the middle, sharing the road safely is the best option,”he said.