Another staggering delay for Cardiff’s bus station

Commenting on the latest announcement by Cardiff’s Labour-run council that Cardiff’s new bus station will not be ready for passengers to use until spring 2023, lead Liberal Democrat candidate for South Wales Central for the 2021 Senedd elections Councillor Rodney Berman said:

he staggering incompetence in the way the council’s Labour leaders have handled the bus station project is unbelievable.

Plans were initially being drawn up for a new bus station by the council administration which I and the Liberal Democrats led between 2004 and 2012. We left office in 2012 with a funded plan in place – all that was required then was to acquire the site of the former NCP car park in Wood Street. We knew that might take some time, but nothing like the time we’ve had to wait since.

Labour fought the 2012 council elections in Cardiff calling for the delivery of a new bus station to be speeded up – but they have delivered just the opposite.

Since then, deadline after deadline has been missed and promise after promise has proved worthless. The only thing Labour has delivered to date is the demolition of the old bus station in 2015 – with bus services scattered to the wind around the city centre ever since.

Seven years on from Labour campaigning for the new bus station to be delivered more quickly, and with Labour having been in charge of the council all through that time, we are now hearing it won’t be ready for use for yet another four years. Cardiff’s residents have been very badly let down.

Lib Dems Propose New Bill to Protect Welsh Farmers

The Liberal Democrats have proposed new legislation to protect Welsh farmers from being undercut by food trade deals that do not meet the UK’s environment and animal welfare standards. The plans, set out in a private member’s bill from Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Rural Affairs Tim Farron MP, would require the government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission to assess the impact of any new trade deal on UK farmers, and guarantee that MPs had the final say on trade deals initiated by the government. This would include an assessment of the impact of new trade deals on farming communities in each region and nation of the UK. Farron’s Bill comes after concern was raised by farmers unions and the Welsh Liberal Democrats that the Government’s new trade deal with Australia will not include a Welsh-specific impact assessment. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS and Liberal Democrat Rural Affairs Spokesperson Tim Farron MP Commenting on his...

Jo Swinson: Serious talks on Lib Dem-Plaid election pact

The Wales BBC Report : The Liberal Democrats are "seriously in discussions" with Plaid Cymru to agree a pact at the next general election, Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has said. A poll is expected before Christmas because Boris Johnson's government has no majority in the House of Commons. The Liberal Democrats won the recent Brecon and Radnorshire by-election after Plaid agreed not to stand. Opposition MPs have twice rejected the government's attempts to trigger a general election, insisting they want to ensure the UK does not leave the EU without a deal at the end of October before they vote for an election. Conservative m Asked how that was progressing, Ms Swinson told BBC Sunday Politics Wales: "There are constructive discussions underway…but those discussions will take their course and announcements will be made as that happens." Speaking ahead of her party's autumn conference, beginning in Bournemouth this weekend, the Lib Dem leade...

Significant Gaps Remain in Welsh Government Building Safety Announcement

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have welcomed progress announced today in the Welsh Government’s building safety announcement but have warned significant gaps remain. Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS and Cardiff Liberal Democrat Group Leader Cllr Rhys Taylor addressing building saftey campaigners. The announcement given by Environment Minister Julie James MS confirmed that 9 property developers have now signed up to the Welsh Government’s “Developers Pact” agreeing in theory their responsibility to remediate buildings they constructed with safety defects. The announcement follows a lengthy campaign by leaseholders in the five years since the Grenfell Tower Disaster. However, three major developers are still yet to reply. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have stated that due to the Welsh Government’s failure to work with the UK Government on the Building Safety Act, they are left with little to no options to deal with the property de...

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