If you’re interested in what the local authority has in mind for Splott over the next five years, read on.
Cardiff Council has launched its consultation into the 2025-2030 regeneration strategy and wants the people of the city to give their opinions.
The closing date to complete the consultation survey is the 31st January, so if you want to take part, the clock is ticking.
Here is a link to the full regeneration strategy document so that you can have a look yourself. Scroll down for some Splott specific mentions in the 90 page document (and Inksplott’s thoughts).
So what’s the strategy all about?
According to the press release issued by the council, it’s a framework designed to create a stronger, fairer and greener Cardiff for all and has been developed to enhance the vitality and viability of Cardiff’s neighbourhoods (Splott being one of them).
The press release goes on to say that ‘The draft strategy sets out a structured approach to future investment and the regeneration of Cardiff’s centres and neighbourhoods. Its purpose is to identify areas of need and opportunity, helping to create thriving, sustainable district and local centres while embedding placemaking principles that celebrate the unique character of each community. Although the strategy considers regeneration across the entire city, it will also serve as a key resource to support funding bids for priority areas, aligning with emerging opportunities as they arise.
It sets out a clear plan for how future placemaking projects will be designed and delivered. It also ensures funding and resources are allocated fairly across neighbourhoods and strengthens efforts to secure additional investment and support from external organisations.
The strategy sets out eight placemaking principles to support future regeneration projects:
– Diverse Green and Blue Networks
– Vibrant Public Life and Public Realm
– Attractive Built Environment
– Thriving Neighbourhoods
– Prosperous Centres
– Well Connected and Accessible for All
– Distinct Image and Identity
– Engaged and Empowered.’
Splott is mentioned multiple times in the strategy document in various contexts:
- Green City Theme:
- The Open Space Assessment revealed a deficiency in access to open space in Splott, among other areas. Splott is identified as a priority area for upgrades based on the Play Site Assessment.
- Fair and Inclusive Theme:
- Splott is listed as one of the areas ranking among the most deprived according to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD 2025), particularly in terms of income, housing, health, and access to services.
- Strong & Prosperous Centres Theme:
- Splott Road in Splott is identified as one of the neighbourhood centres most in need of environmental improvements.
- Connected City Theme:
- Planned works include improvements to the Newport Road and Broadway corridor and other related potential projects in Splott, such as active travel work to improve accessibility to the new Willows School and improved bus connectivity through Splott and Tremorfa.
- Climate Resilience Theme:
- Splott is identified as a priority zone for tree planting and green infrastructure investment due to having less than 10% tree canopy cover and/or vegetation along streets.
- Priority Neighbourhoods for Council-led Placemaking Plans:
- Splott is identified as one of the priority neighbourhoods for targeted placemaking plans under the Transforming Towns Programme. Specific mentions include:
- High levels of deprivation across income, health, housing, and services.
- Deficient open space and play sites requiring improvement.
- Splott Road is identified as a district centre needing environmental upgrades.
- Planned active travel routes, bus corridor upgrades, and Cardiff East rail station.
- Opportunities for creative placemaking and community-led initiatives.
- Examples of Green & Blue Infrastructure Projects:
- Splott Park Play Area is listed as an example of parks and play spaces projects in placemaking plans.
- Splott Park 3G is mentioned as an example of blue-green infrastructure and SuDS projects.
- Appendix 2: Placemaking Plan Focus Areas (2025-2030):
- Splott is part of the priority neighbourhoods for council-led placemaking plans under the Transforming Towns Programme. Specific mentions include:
- Green infrastructure deficiency in Adamsdown and some play sites requiring improvement in Splott.
- District Centres: Clifton Street and Splott Road need environmental upgrades.
- Connectivity: Planned active travel routes, bus corridor upgrades, and Cardiff East rail station.
- Climate resilience: Low tree canopy and opportunities to address environmental risk factors.
Placemaking Plans
It seems to me that many of the strategy objectives hang on placemaking. Head to page 40 for more information on plans for ‘Placemaking for Thriving Neighbourhoods’.
Specifics
On page 89, Splott is highlighted as an area with significant deprivation, environmental challenges, and opportunities for regeneration and placemaking improvements.
Splott and Adamsdown are mentioned here:
Priority Neighbourhoods for Council-led Placemaking Plans
1. Adamsdown and Splott
• Deprivation: High levels across income, health, housing, and services
• Green Infrastructure: Deficient open space in Adamsdown and some play sites requiring improvement in Splott
• Neighbourhood characteristics: Walkable, but gaps in housing and community infrastructure
• District Centres: Clifton Street and Splott Road need environmental upgrades
• Connectivity: Planned active travel routes, bus corridor upgrades, and Cardiff East rail station
• Climate Resilience: Low tree canopy and opportunities to address environmental risk factors
• Culture & Identity: Opportunities for creative placemaking and community-led initiatives
On page 20, Splott is also listed under Areas of Greatest Need According to the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD 2025) – areas including Adamsdown, Caerau, Ely, Fairwater, Grangetown, Llandaff North, Llanrumney, South Riverside, Splott, St Mellons West, Tremorfa and Pengam rank among the most deprived, particularly in terms of income, housing, health, and access to services.
On page 31, under ‘Areas of Greatest Programmed Change’, Splott is referenced as one of the areas with greatest potential synergies with transport projects:
Adamsdown and Splott. Planned works include the Newport Road and Broadway corridor improvements and other related potential projects in Splott, including active travel work to improve accessibility to the new Willows School and improved bus connectivity through Splott and Tremorfa. Transport for Wales are also developing proposals for a new railway station at Cardiff East (Newport Road) and is also exploring options for Cardiff crossrail extension through the docks to Tremorfa.
On page 38, Adamsdown and Splott are listed in the Strategy Conclusions under many of the categories.
On page 43, Splott Park is listed as one of the ‘Examples of Green & Blue Infrastructure Projects in Placemaking Plans’.
Image taken from the strategy document, copyright Cardiff Council.
It’s all about the money, money, money (or is it?)
The document doesn’t provide specific budget figures for the delivery of the Cardiff Regeneration Strategy 2025–2030. However, it mentions funding sources and programs that will support the strategy’s implementation:
- Transforming Towns Programme:
- The strategy aligns with the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Programme, which provides funding for regeneration projects. Splott, Butetown, Cardiff Bay, and Plasnewydd are identified as priority neighbourhoods for targeted placemaking plans under this program.
- Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Investment Programme (TRIP):
- Funding from TRIP was used for projects such as the Tudor Street commercial improvement scheme, which included building improvement grants for shopfront enhancements, environmental upgrades, and public realm improvements.
- Future Funding Streams:
- The strategy acknowledges the dynamic nature of the funding landscape and states that future appendices will be developed to reflect and respond to emerging funding opportunities.
- Funding Alignment:
- The strategy emphasizes aligning financial resources with investment proposals across neighbourhoods, identifying opportunities, gaps, and planned schemes implemented by the Council or other public/private bodies.
- External Funding and Match Funding:
- The strategy highlights the importance of securing external funding and resources from public and private bodies, while recognizing the role of Council and private match funding in securing grants.
While the document outlines funding sources and strategies for securing resources, it does not specify exact budget allocations or total costs for the strategy’s delivery.
So, I guess in this initial consultation phase, it’s not about the money, money, money, but more about gathering an early reaction from the citizens of Cardiff. As they say on the second page of the survey,
‘This is a draft Plan, not the final version. Before the final version is decided, we want to hear from you. Please tell us what you think of our plans, and if anything is missing, or needs changing, and encourage your friends, family and neighbours to complete the survey – all ages, all backgrounds and from all areas of the city – so everyone can have their say.’
HOWEVER!
Yes, there is a however, because the consultation only offers the options of agreeing, disagreeing or kind of agreeing or kind of disagreeing with the strategy themes and aims. There are only two free text boxes, right at the end, where you can actually have your say (as is so often the way with council consultations).
So, in the box right at the end which asked ‘Do you think anything is missing from this Draft Regeneration Strategy?’, this is what I pondered and proposed….
“How community organisations will be involved, if at all, in the next stage of the strategy and its delivery. Will community organisations, and the people they reach, be welcomed to work in early partnership with the local authority to identify local priorities under each of the themes and explore potential for community involvement in the design, approval and delivery of plans specific to where they live? Community organisations are often custodians of their neighbourhoods – trusted people in trusted places that engage people day in day out and understand the pressures, challenges and opportunities for their parts of Cardiff. Will community organisations be provided with budgets and resources to ensure that they can help the council deliver the very best placemaking plans for each part of Cardiff, because they are all different and should not be approached in a blanket fashion? By empowering and enabling community organisations, and activating their networks of service users and beneficiaries as a result, the council could uncork a swathe of local expertise and passion which could lead to groundbreaking, meaningful regeneration tailored to each community.”
I hope that you will have a think about what may be missing from the strategy proposal and complete the online survey (if you want a hard copy, pop to Splott Community Volunteers at the back of the STAR Centre, as they have some or will help you complete an online survey).
*Full disclosure, I used a bit of Adobe AI Assistant to look for the mentions of Splott in the strategy. Time is one thing this community news blogger has little of and, boy, did it help!