Under the (gulp) Tudor Era Tudor Street Cardiff has a long reputation for being problematic: higher levels of crime and living on the bread line. This led to a £5 million regeneration scheme in the area to attract residents and visitors.
The Regeneration Initiative
Cardiff Council, working with the Welsh Government, launched an extensive improvement programme for Tudor Street in 2021. The project sought to provide a more appealing shopping setting, which consisted of various changes to Tudor Street.
Two-way segregated cycle lane
Roadways narrowed to instant replace the space that would have gone to vehicles, creating huge walk areas on Tudor Street.
Improved lighting on streets, complemented by new street furniture to create safer and more attractive spaces.
Implementation of rain gardens to help mitigate surface water and introduce more gardens into the green.
Grants for shopfront beautification to improve the appearance of local businesses.
These additions were meant to create a lively community feel and encourage commerce in the area, especially on Tudor Street.
The Community Mobilizes and Faces Challenges
Although these efforts at regeneration were executed with good intentions, the dark side of them has attracted some negative reviews from locals. Some business owners have raised concerns about certain elements of the project. One example is rain gardens absorbing runoff water, which critics say stay waterlogged, accumulate litter, deter customers, and occupy essential parking spaces. Even, local convenience store owner, Qasim Din, noticed the lack of foot traffic in his store dashed due to limited available parking on Tudor Street due to the rain gardens.
There were protests in August 2024 from traders when council staff arrived to try to fix the rain gardens. To put it simply, the situation had gotten to the point where police were needed, and the owners of the local businesses were so frustrated as to need police intervention, especially on Tudor Street.
Impact on Crime Rates
A major aim of the regeneration project was to tackle the area’s crime problems. But recent data shows the challenges remain. Cardiff Crime Overview 2023 Cardiff Crime Summary The largest category in Cardiff was violence and sexual offences, accounting for 32.3% of the total crime. Cardiff’s yearly crime rate is 118 crimes per 1,000 people. Data specifically for Tudor Street is sparse, but broader trends indicate that the area remains a concern for safety.
