Good weather and a great city

Written by Jenny Randerson and published in Cardiff Post on Fri 8th Feb 2008

The un-seasonally good weather over the half-term Assembly recess allowed me a small amount of time to wander around the city centre and do some shopping. It is not often that I get the chance to do this but I felt it was important to take the time to visit this unique part of my constituency.

The good weather had obviously inspired thousands of other people to do the same, and Queen Street, St Mary's street and the arcades were chocca-bloc with shoppers: tourists and locals alike. The sunshine always reminds me of why I love our city. The diversity of the people, the vibrant street life and the sheer history of our arcades and some of our shops really create a great atmosphere. Any one who lives in Cardiff for more than a few years will always remark on how the city has changed dramatically over time.

Since I became a Member of the National Assembly, my constituency has seen big changes, but in the last few years, this change has accelerated. In particular I noticed last week the lack of litter in the city centre. Since 2004, the Council has massively increased the number of street sweepers across Cardiff, not just in the centre and with recycling rates rising fast, things are far better than they ever were. My inbox and post bag used to be full of complaints about litter and debris scattered around our streets. Nowadays I don't get anything like the same number as I used to.

Dealing with waste is always a big headache for a large urban Council, but by employing more staff, effectively dealing with cleaning up after large events and listening to resident's concerns, Liberal Democrat-run Cardiff Council have improved the image of our city a great deal. I remember from my time as a Cardiff Councillor how difficult it can be to please everyone, but careful targeting of resources has proved it is possible to improve things in our city. Councils will always suffer until they are given more money from the Assembly and won't have to hit local residents with Council Tax rises, but in the mean time, it is good to see our Council doing a good job in difficult circumstances. After all, if we are to continue to keep Cardiff's reputation as a great place to live, work and visit, we can't be complacent.

It has been a privilege to serve the people of Cardiff over the last 25 years, first as a Councillor then as AM for Cardiff Central and it is still something I enjoy doing immensely. Jenny Willott and I hold surgeries for everyone in Cardiff Central on Fridays between 3.30pm and 5pm at 99 Woodville Road in Cathays. No appointments are necessary and we will always do whatever we can to help.