Cllr Rod McKerlich: December and January 2020

Traffic Matters: it is envisaged the 3 new zebra crossings on our main road will be installed by end May unless there is difficulty in getting a contractor who can meet that schedule. The TRO and subsequent work to set a 20mph limit in R+M excluding Parc Radur will be completed at the same time. I am in discussion with Council officers about a possible means of making it much less attractive for HGVs to make illicit use of our main road; checks on feasibility are well advanced. As previously advised I have asked that a protocol be set to ensure proper consultation before developers or utilities disrupt pedestrians or motorists to a significant extent. I requested NO2 monitoring on our main roads and 2 testing points are now operational; they confirm that current levels are well below the concern level and it will be useful to see the effects (beneficial or otherwise) of proposed changes to traffic management. If this testing were augmented by testing pf particulate levels, it would be even more useful. I have pointed out flooding points on Llantrisant Road near Plasdwr and Goitre Fach developments. There is a current public consultation on the longstanding need for a pavement on the west side of the Windsor Road bend because of concerns expressed by R+MCC and me.

Electoral Review: Radyr and Morganstown has been well served by Cllr Marion Drake and, since 2008, by me but we were both serving over 5000 demanding electors, well over the Cardiff average, Successful representations by R+MCC and  me, resulted in a decision that from 2022 this ward will elect 2 County Councillors.

Green waste missed collection: Christmas trees will be collected on your area’s scheduled garden waste collection. If residents were able to chop their tree up, we would ask that they do and place it into their green bin for collection. However, if they are unable to do this, Christmas trees should be placed alongside their bin for collection.

Plasdwr hydrology concerns: I have been raising longstanding concerns about localised flooding in Parc Radur and the relevance of these concerns to planned development in Plasdwr. I have now raised this again and demanded that this issue be discussed at planning committee as a matter of urgency.

Budget consultation: Outlines of Cardiff Council budget for 2020-21 are available and public consultation is invited

LDP review:  November Cardiff Council approved consulting on a full review of the LDP (essentially to create a new LDP) and a full LDP review is the right approach in view of the failures of the current one! I spoke in favour of a full review pointing out these failures.

Changes to bus service to R+M: When I became County Councillor in 2008, the service was 2 per hour and went to Cardiff via Fairwater and Canton, taking 45 minutes. I lobbied Cardiff bus for a better service and  3 services going direct with a journey time of 23 minutes was introduced. Regrettably, this has not produced greater usage of the bus service. I agree that cutting services is not a sensible way of encouraging bus usage but I am an opposition Councillor with little control over the Council budget to offer a subsidy. While Cardiff Council owns Cardiff Bus, it is run at arm’s length and has been told to remove the annual deficit. I append the reply I got when I queried proposed reduction in service:
“In a round of changes in 2019 we planned to reduce the 63 Radyr service back to 2 buses/hour – from a financial performance of the route that is all it could withstand.  We didn’t implement the change at that time as we were awaiting the commencement of the S106 Goitre Fach Farm to start so would have been 2 changes in quick succession.  As with all things the Goitre Fach Farm date moved and we now a fixed start date which is a little later than we had expected. 
The information is here; https://www.cardiffbus.com/new-62-route-and-changes-service-63  
Rather than having a change to put the Radyr service to a frequency that finically it could sustain, we held slightly to not have two changes in succession that would have been unnecessarily disruptive so delayed the planned reduction to 2 buses per hour. 

New first school on Plasdwr; following consultation, the recommendation is to proceed with a two-stream school as set out I the original proposal.

Graffiti/ fly tipping; A number of incidents occurred and were resolved speedily One kissing gate was repaired and another awaits repair.

Library events: The next litter pick is on Monday 20th January between 10 and 11.30.There are a number of regular events in the library including coffee mornings, bridge lessons and a bridge club. Check next time you visit the library.
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County Councillor Rod McKerlich, 16th January 2020
e-mail  rmckerlich@cardiff.gov.uk         phone 20842764

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