Welsh Government and Cardiff Council invest to attract visitors and encourage residents to shop locally
TUDOR Street is undergoing a £5m commercial improvement scheme designed to create a more attractive shopping area for the local community and to attract more visitors to the Riverside area.
The multi-million-pound funding secured from the Welsh Government in partnership with Cardiff Council is part of a regeneration programme to transform the area.
It will provide external building improvements, prioritised pedestrian movement and better transportation along the street and Tudor Lane.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Councillor Lynda Thorne, said: “I am so pleased that we have successfully secured over £2.5m of Welsh Government regeneration funding along with our own Council funding to invest in this shopping centre.
“Now, more than ever, we are seeing the benefits of local shopping and these projects demonstrate the commitment we have to secure the future of these important community shopping centres.”
Tudor Street has adopted a one-way system for 11 months while the works take place to ensure that the scheme is completed on time and within budget.
The street development work has decreased footfall in the area which has negatively impacted some businesses.
Owner of Good Game Café, Adam Wood-Gaiger, 35, from Cardiff said: “It’s great that they’re trying to rejuvenate this area, but it’s causing a lot of chaos to the businesses around here at the moment.
“It has negatively affected our business through a lack of footfall. People just aren’t willing to come down this street at the moment.”
Mr Wood-Gaiger added that road works have also disrupted food delivery services such as Uber Eats, as some drivers are now reluctant to travel along Tudor Street.
Tudor Street traders have met with the council to express concerns regarding trading levels while the work is carried out, but have not been given financial compensation.
A grocery store owner, who asked to remain anonymous, spoke of her fears for her business following the impact of Covid and the effects of the street development on customer numbers.
She said: “We’ve had a meeting with the council and requested whether there was any compensation or financial help, and they said no. Surely if they’re going to make a big £5m pledge for regeneration in this area, they should have budgeted for businesses that are already running?
“How are we meant to survive and pay ourselves when we’ve already suffered two years of Covid? How deep do they expect our pockets to be? We’ve already used our savings up on sustaining the business.”
Local councillor for Riverside and Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, Caro Wild said: “There is no doubt that the works, and the ongoing lack of city centre workers has left many of the businesses really struggling.
“We have been meeting with them regularly to offer our support and try and fix problems and we would urge people to support their local businesses by visiting the brilliant shops and businesses.”
Some businesses on Tudor Street welcomed the regeneration work.
Owner of Neighbourhood Kitchen & Cocktail, Tudor Barber, 33, said: “Tudor Street has looked the same for the past 30 years so it’s great to see some new development.
“I think the development is giving an attractive footway into town back and forth which is going to be really beneficial for us. The development is starting to connect this area to the centre which has been neglected for a very long time.”
