Cardiff Council is carrying out £5m worth of redevelopment work to make the area more vibrant and attractive to visitors
Businesses at Tudor street say that their business has reduced for months owing to redevelopment work going on in Riverside.
Cardiff Council is currently carrying out £5m worth of transport and regeneration improvements in the area. According to the Council’s social media post, the work is being done to create a vibrant and attractive shopping area for residents and visitors.
“Business has just dramatically dropped,” said Quasim, owner of South Wales Echo, a general store at Tudor street.
“People are actively avoiding Tudor street so passing trade has just diminished and we are struggling to survive as a business. At the end of the day we survive mainly on passing trade and if there is no passing trade, there is no business.”
“It might look nice when it is finished, but the council spent millions of pounds doing it, it still doesn’t fix the underlying problems that Tudor street has which is lot of homelessness in the area, drug dealing etc. Although the final result of the scheme may look good, it’s still not fixing the underlying problems that the area has. The money should have been spent there,” said Quasim
The local shops which were already struggling with loss in business because of the pandemic and lockdown did not get a chance to revive as the construction started shortly afterwards.
According to the shopkeepers the construction work is expected to go on till July next year, but there is no guarantee if it will actually be completed by then.
“I have lived here for 30 years. I have got no other business. I have got no other home except Cardiff. I am tenant, not a landlord so I have no say in the matter. We will not be getting any compensation for our loss of trade. First there was recession, then there was the lockdown and now it is this. They should have completed this work during the lockdown,” said another shopkeeper who did not wish to be named.
The councillors representing Riverside could not be contacted for comment.