June 2025 – County Councillor Reports
Below are the monthly reports from your County Councillors for the Radyr & Morganstown Ward.
Cllr Calum Davies – DATE report
Received by the Web Team on 30 June 2025
Petition
Thanks to all those who signed my petition against the Council’s plans to scrap free parking in the car parks it owns in the city, like those in Canton, Llandaff, and Whitchurch. Those names join the chorus of thousands of others who have signalled their opposition. The Conservatives on the Council, including myself, will continue to make this point, as we have done in previous debates and alternative budgets. The Council already has conceded on the principle that no free parking will be damaging, suggesting the possibility of a free half hour. However, this does not go far enough and will still have a negative impact.
Station Road
I have been in contact with the Coop regarding the front of the old Spar, so it is less of an eye-sore in the middle of the community, since I was elected. I am encouraged by recent correspondence that suggests short and long-term visual improvements are forthcoming. I hope to have greater detail on this soon and remain committed to improving the appearance of Station Road.
Radyr Rangers
I was delighted to get a glimpse of a very busy football festival, the annual tournament held by Radyr Rangers, this month. With around 700 players in attendance, it again shows the wide-ranging benefits the club and team sports bring to the community. I continue to work with the club towards their ambitions for new facilities.
Meetings
I have held numerous meetings this month, including with an education group, Cardiff Bus, and council officers, the latter regarding greater bus provision in the ward. I was also pleased to meet with Julia Charles, the new Chair of the Community Council, to discuss our shared goals for Radyr & Morganstown. I chaired my first meeting of the Policy Review & Performance Committee to scrutinise the Council’s budget and plans for a management restructure.
This new role also provided the opportunity to scrutinise the Leader and Chief Executive of the Council directly in regard to its Annual Wellbeing Plan. As I prepare to depart the Children & Young People Committee, I was pleased to be part of a session on school deficits – that I requested – quizzing Cabinet Members on this growing issue in the city. Finally, I held my latest surgery and will advertise my next one in the autumn.
Written Questions
Ahead of every Council meeting, I have the chance to table five written questions to the Cabinet. I aim to use up my allocation each and every month to find out information useful to myself as a representative of Radyr & Morganstown but also in my other roles on the Council, including as the Conservatives’ Investment & Development spokesperson and Chair of the Policy Review & Performance Committee. This month I asked:
- Which schools are in deficit, by what amount, and how long have they been in deficit?
- Following the Supreme Court ruling on the interpretation of the Equality Act (For Women Scotland Ltd v The Scottish Ministers), what measures will the Council take to ensure that it is compliant with the ruling? What specific changes is it having to make to ensure compliance where it previously was in breach of the law
- Following the Supreme Court ruling on the interpretation of the Equality Act, will the Council withdraw from Stonewall’s Diversity Champions programme and cut ties with the organisation after it has been found to be spreading unlawful advise on single-sex spaces? How much money does the Council spend on Stonewall?
- Both as a total figure and as a percentage of Council expenditure in 2024/25, how much was spent on taxis as a means of school transport?
- How many asylum seekers in Cardiff are housed in hotels, B&Bs, HMOs, council homes, social homes, and the PRS? How much of these costs are met by the Council?
Answers can be found here on the written questions section of the Council meeting agenda.
Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones – DATE Report
Received by the Web Team on 4 July 2025
Sad to see Mrs Davies Go
Mrs Claire Davies Headteacher at Brynderi Primary is retiring. We are going to miss her. She has steered Brynderi School with love and with dedication. I have so many memories, including the one where the children’s Christmas show took a quiet dig (not so quiet) at some fictional councillors. Their Headteacher face sparkled with mischief. But the truth was that the school buildings left a lot to be desired, and remedial work was desperately needed. Glad to report that much of the work needed has now been done.
The school has high expectations of its pupils and high standards but more than that, it is a happy, homely school where children’s other interests can be and are fostered. Mrs Davies has led by example, and we are all indebted to her.
We all wish you a very happy retirement Mrs Davies. Thank you so much for everything you have done in the community.
Buses FIRST PRIORITY
No progress this month. My husband went into Palliative Care and I cancelled the arranged meeting. It will be rescheduled.
Drovers’ Way
The process for installing a light continues. It is becoming a saga and a half
The grass has been cut.
Clos Parc Radur
Traffic problems with contractors parking on the pavement. I have flagged the problem up again with Redrow. Went past this week and felt that the problem had diminished.
Heol Isaf
This morning Heol Isaf had its drains cleaned out from Brynderwen to Llantrisant Road. Hurray. However, you will notice that some are still blocked. They have been reported to the Council because special equipment will be needed to lift the covers on the drains up.
Great to see the Council using the summer to clean the drains out. The logistics is amazing. There are a lot of drains in Cardiff. Grateful some of our have been sorted.
There is a faulty gully between Radyr Farm Road and Woodfield Avenue that has been identified.
The grass can be cut back on the triangular shape between Heol Isaf and Llantrisant Road as it is becoming very hard to see if there is traffic coming from the traffic lights. I reported the problem to the Council. You may remember that the ground had been under the developers care, so good to know it’s now under Council care.
Radyr Cricket Club
We had another meeting with National Grid and the Chair of the Environment Committee on the Community Council is meeting National Resources Wales in the first week of June.
The Chair of the Environment Committee is liaising with our MP Alex Barros Curtiss to get another meeting with the relevant agencies.
For those who may not be aware, the river Taff has started to erode the riverbank on the same side as the Cricket Clubhouse. So not only is it getting flooded in the big storms, but also its foundations are at risk from river erosion. Even if you don’t belong to the Cricket Club, the fact they have created a permissive path which enables us to walk alongside the river in 40-acre field, is a good reason to want to keep the riverbank stable.
The Sidings
The grass has been cut there too. And the broken rope climbing frame was mended the same day as it was reported broken to the council. Thank you, Parks at Cardiff Council. The play ground is still owned by the developer Persimmon so I am really grateful that the Council put the safety of our children first and foremost.
Brynderwen
A resident phoned me about the state of the barriers at the bottom of Brynderwen. The Council has been out and inspected them. They are satisfied that the barriers are still fit for purpose even if they don’t look wonderful. Wonder if some volunteers could paint them?
Bridge over the Taff by the railway station
A new litter bin has been installed by the start of the path over the bridge. This was instigated by a batch of well-written letters from Year 4 at Radyr Primary School. They had been on an environment walk along the Taff Trail and were calling on us to do more to keep our patch environmentally friendly.
Pentwyn
There have been a lot of complaints about dog owners not collecting their dogs poos. The park has been visited by the Dog Enforcement Officer and some dog owners have been spoken to. Have been told that the Dog Enforcement Officer will make a point of calling at the park regularly, which is good news.
Morganstown
Radyr Rangers (RR) SECOND PRIORITY
Thank you to Radyr Rangers for organising a wonderful tournament day at Radyr Comprehensive on 14th June. It was a happy day. It is becoming another one of Radyr and Morganstown events that we can all support and enjoy. I was very touched to be given a bouquet of flowers as a thank you for the support I have given towards the school getting an All-Weather Pitch.
We are still plodding on both with respect to gaining grants to drain the Mound Field Football pitch properly and to replacing the changing rooms as promised by TfW
Morganstown Village Hall
Still things to solve. The existing trustees would welcome help. Let me know if you are interested.
Radyr and Morganstown
Litter Picking
There is an active group of litter pickers. Please contact peter.fortuneuk@gmail.com for details. The more the merrier. They would love to have more volunteers, They intend to do what they can to clear the back road between Station Road and Kings Road this weekend.
Radyr Woods Wardens
We are lucky to have such dedicated volunteers. They would love to have more. Contact clerk@radyr.wales if you’d like to help too. I often flag up working parties in the Woods on my Facebook page.
I have a Facebook page Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones Do please follow me.
Replacement Local Development Plan
We are now in a waiting phase when all the feedback Cardiff Council has received is being assessed. We can see that the developers are not happy that we have managed to protect some land and have started to object. So, we will have to continue to be vigilant and we may well have to campaign again and again.
Youth Work THIRD PRIORITY
Do check in the library in Park Road (it’s also called the Hyb) they will have a list of activities that children can do during the summer holidays.
Flooding under the M4 bridge
Was promised work would be done this Summer. Haven’t noticed anything happening yet. Have started prompting people.
Flooding by Pughs Garden Centre
Gather there are drains that need replacing. Haven’t been told when that may be but would expect it to happen in the summer holidays.
Police Incidents
When we ask for a regular police patrol, we get told there aren’t enough incidents to justify their presence. Please use swp101@south-wales.police.uk and flag up any incident if you witness one.
Your local Neighbourhood Policing Team will be at Radyr Comprehensive on 10th July 2025 between 12:00-13:15. These are every two weeks during term time for youths
Noise on the Station Car Park
Please flag it up with the Transport Police as well as the local police, if there is too much noise going on at an anti-social hour.
Goldies
Goldies is every first Friday of the month in the New School Rooms by Christchurch 2pm -4pm. Everybody is welcome to come and sing along with the Karaoke. There’s usually a cup of tea and biscuits and sometimes cake!
Radyr Weir Landing Stage
The speed with which things happen never fails to amaze me but more steps have been taken and hopefully we will see a result soon. (This year?)
Please note that water sports on rivers are dangerous, and the water quality cannot be guaranteed as safe.
Cardiff National Park City
I have been asked to Chair this initiative in Cardiff. We currently need a keen lover of green spaces who is willing to be a treasurer! So please let me know if you are interested. One volunteer needed. We are going to use a meeting with Radyr Primary Year 4 as our first opportunity to explain what a National Park City is.
Brambles
Please check you haven’t any brambles hanging over the pavements from your hedges. It is that time of the year.
Thank you
Just want to thank so many of you who have sent me cards, letter or flowers or little somethings to help me through this month following my husband Richard’s death. You have been so kind and supportive. Thank you so much. I’ll report back next in September.