Cardiff Bay Redevelopment investigation

... the residents, some of which have formed CRAB (Cardiff Residents Against the Barrage) who object to this project as the £200 million spent on this is pointless and could be better spend on other projects elsewhere. They also point out that this, together with the new, massive retail, industrial and leisure complexes, the redevelopment is encroaching on residential areas creating an unwelcome cross-over between them. Naturally, CRAB and the Residents Association think that the CBDC are not taking them in to consideration.

Another example of the CBDC's apparent lack of consultation was the moving of people out of the old, deteriorating council housing to make way for some of the leisure facilities in the heart of the old Butetown. To the west of Cardiff Bay is a new, large estate of housing, based around the Penarth Marina. These, generally expensive homes were designed with attracting the employees of the big businesses which have invested in the area and have had massive office complexes built. Most marina-based houses cost in the region of £200,000. This sudden influx of middle-class jobs and residents has created a great change to the socio-economic groups of the area, which are differentiated by level of income to the household. This is re-inforced by the nearby village of Penarth, mainly consisting of 'blue-collar' council housing estates; with income from surrounding industrial businesses.

Environmental Effects

There are many projects drawn up by the CBDC that have to take environmental issues in to account. Probably the most obvious and biggest would be the Barrage. Before the barrage, Cardiff Bay had a huge tidal range of 14m, one of the world's greatest, rendering the bay unusable for up to 14 hours a day. The Barrage would totally remove the effect of the tide which has inhibited development and would allow for a 500 acre freshwater lake filled by the neighbouring rivers to be used for water sports and as an added leisure facility. The Barrage also fea ...