Content about councillor

The children of east Cardiff have had their education ruined for the last seven years, claimed one resident as locals gave their feedback on the future of school provisions in the area.  

The building of a new school in the region has been one of the most controversial issues over the best part of a decade. The latest proposal from Cardiff Council plans to build a new purpose-built school on the site where Rumney High School now stands. 

A new Welsh Development Agency should be established to help improve Wales’s economy, a Select Committee report has recommended.

The previous agency was scrapped five years ago, but this move was criticised by the Welsh Affairs Committee who said the closure of the WDA has reduced the visibility of Wales in the global market. 

Bute Park has been open for longer since cycling campaigners lobbied to keep it open until 7pm. After a three-month trial, Cardiff Council has agreed to continue the later locking until the clocks go forward in March.

Riverside Councillor Iona Gordon, also a keen cyclist, welcomed the trial’s extension and said it was not just cyclists who were benefiting from the park’s later opening hours. She said: “A lot of pedestrians have said they’ve been using the path often.

A new museum opens in Cardiff city centre on Friday telling the story of the capital through the ages.

Councillor Nigel Howells, sport, leisure and culture executive, said: “Cardiff has been the only major UK city without a museum telling our story.

"We had this wonderful building here, crying out for community use. There are more than a thousand objects here which have been donated by Cardiff residents."

Cardiff Bay looks set to lose the WOW on the Waterfront festival this year because of council budget cuts.

The decision to cut the two-day festival, usually held each summer, will be made later today (Friday) after the Welsh Assembly has finalised budget decisions.

Councillor Nigel Howells said: “There’s no money in the council budget. Everything will have to come from the Assembly Government, dependent on the settlement, and if we don't get the funding then we will need to cancel one of this year's festivals.

A councillor who unwittingly spread false rumours about a pub hosting a fascist group has set the record straight on Twitter.
 
Last week Coun Dixon mistakenly retweeted a message that said the Cricketer's Pub in Riverside was hosting the British Freedom Party, a splinter group of the British National Party.

In fact the pub hosted The Freedom Association, a cross-party right-wing group which strongly denies links to extreme nationalism.

A theatre which has staged an array of talent from Tom Jones to community productions is about to get a quarter of a million pound facelift.

The Vale of Glamorgan Council and Penarth Town Council have rearranged their finances to go ahead with renovation of The Paget Rooms, Penarth, over a period of three years.

Penarth Council currently have more than £100,000 in reserves, including a £15,000 grant from the Vale council, to which they will continually add, amounting to a quarter of a million.

Local business owners in Cardiff are feeling the pressure as supermarket giants take over the business districts in the suburbs.

There are currently 26 Tesco and Sainsbury's chain stores within a five-mile radius of the city centre, with a further four developments in the pipeline.

One of the most controversial proposals is Sainsbury's takeover of the unit previously occupied by Maskrey's furniture store on Whitchurch Road, Gabalfa.

"It has been a wonderful welcome here in Cardiff. It is important to lend support to the Welsh Assembly campaign. The signs are looking very good and there is a great upbeat mood in South Wales.

"I think it’s hugely important that people have a voice in the different arenas about the different developments happening on their own doorsteps.

Cardiff councillors have joined Government calls for the council to cut down on "non jobs."

The Government hit out yesterday at local councils hiring non-essential staff such as “cheerleading development officers” while cutting back basic services.

Local government minister Bob Neil revealed new research saying councils have hired 180,000 extra staff since 1997.

Maindy Barracks Squadron 580 is looking to re-establish their connection to Penarth since the troop disbanded in April 1993.

Captains from the 580 Transport Squadron have been investigating the history of the Territorial Army group and hope to reinstate Penarth as the natural successors of the squad.

Conservative councillor J. F. Frasier said: “The benefits to the town could be immense and this could lead to the town being broadcast to the rest of Wales.”

Cardiff Council is standing firm on their investment into the arts despite a survey of 5,000 households which found residents would prefer money to be spent on street repairs and traffic management.

The 2010 survey found Cardiff residents consider major events and venues as the lowest priority, but plans for £200,000 to be invested into improvements at the New Theatre were welcomed at the draft Budget Scrutiny Committee meeting on Monday February 14.