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.

Wales Hosepipe Ban – Criticism of Welsh Water Over Large Bonuses While Infrastructure Creaks

Following the news that people in some areas of Wales could face a hosepipe ban this summer, the Welsh Liberal Democrats have criticised Welsh Water for paying large bonuses to its bosses while infrastructure creaks. Data from Ofwat, the Water Services Regulation Authority, showed that 169.9 megalitres/day were being wasted through leakage in Welsh Water’s network during 2020-21. The company also failed to meet its Per capita consumption (PCC) targets which are designed to push for less water to be taken from the environment. The Welsh Liberal Democrats say that their analysis of Company House data shows that executives at Dŵr Cymru were paid £2.6 million in 2020 and 2021 including £931,000 in bonuses, benefits and inc entives. Commenting Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds said: " We cannot control the hot and dry weather, but we can control wastage through outdated or poorly-maintained infrastructure. “Welsh Water brands itself as “no...

Calls for Labour to Go Further on War on Plastic

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called on Welsh Labour to be more ambitious in its war on plastic and introduce a bottle deposit scheme in Wales. While welcoming the long-delayed plans to ban single-use carrier bags and plastic drinking straws in Wales, the Welsh Liberal Democrats said there was more to be done. Under legislation introduced today, single-use carrier bags, plastic drinking straws, plastic plates, cutlery, stirrers and cotton buds would all be banned under the proposed new law. Research from Wrap Cymru estimates that 400,000 tonnes of plastic waste are generated in Wales each year, with 67 per cent of that waste being packaging. Another report by the Marine Conservation Society found that there were 29 drinks containers for every 100 meters of beach in Wales. A Deposit Return Scheme, also known as a bottle deposit scheme, encourages people to recycle drinks containers such as plastic or glass bottles. People pay a small deposit f...

Councillor Alun Jenkins awarded a BEM in the Queen's New Year Honours List

Alun Jenkins, the Welsh Liberal Democrat councillor for Offa Ward in Wrexham has been awarded the Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) for Political and Public Service in the New Year 2022 Honours List. Cllr Jenkins has continuously served Offa Ward for over 50 years as its councillor, having been elected in 1970 and is one of the longest-serving Liberal Democrat councillors in Wales. Cllr Alun Jenkins. Congratulating Alun on his BEM Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader Jane Dodds MS said: “Alun has been a stalwart public servant for Offa Ward and the whole of Wrexham for as long as I can remember and it's fantastic to see his public service recognised with a BEM. “Alun has a strong reputation for always thoroughly engaging with constituents and also set a tremendous record during his tenures as Deputy Leader of the Council and the Lead Member for Finance. “Alun has not only served his constituents with the utmost dedication, but he also inspired and worked with ge...

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