Council under fire over city centre cycleway works

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Cardiff Council has defended its city centre cycleway development after members of the public bemoaned the disruption caused by roadworks.

Residents have expressed concern over the disruption caused to pedestrian walkways in Gabalfa, Cardiff, as work progresses along Allensbank Road and Whitchurch Road to complete new cycleways.

Pictures have been shared online of pavements being partly-obstructed and some residents have complained about the temporary lack of parking along Allensbank Road.

Nightmare

Resident and local ward member, Cllr Rhys Taylor, said the construction works have been a “nightmare”.

He described the difficulty of trying to get his son to nursery, when the walkways were “just wide enough to get the pram through” in places.

“There was me going down Whitchurch Road and someone coming up towards me,” he said.

“Both of us with pushchairs, and I think there were three or four people trying to walk the same route as well.

“There was a part of the pavement where they have got, what I am assuming is, the demarcation between the cycle lane and the footpath, and it is a trip hazard.

“People are walking on what is essentially a construction site. Trying to navigate it with a pushchair was bad enough, let alone if you are in a wheelchair.”

One picture that emerged on social media showed a blue metal container slightly on to the pavement along Allensbank Road. The council said the container is a necessary welfare unit for staff working on site.

A Cardiff Council spokesperson said: “The council is currently building a new cycleway on Allensbank Road, as part of the wider plans to improve active travel routes across the city.

“As with all construction projects, there is always an element of disruption in the short term, while the work takes place.

 “A controlled parking zone is in place in the area, which allows residents to park on side streets off Allensbank Road for as long as they wish.

“The container that has been put on the footway on Allensbank Road is a welfare unit for staff working on site.

“This is a legal requirement. Where the footway has been narrowed, the pavement remains 1.2 metres wide in line with the legislation so that pedestrians can pass on the pavement.

“The council is continuing to monitor the operations on site and would like to thank the public for their patience while this work takes place.”