Sixteen calamitous decisions by Cardiff council

Risky secret deals with foreign developer - with over £200m of YOUR money

March 2022

The case for a new 15,000 capacity Indoor Arena has not been convincingly proved, and the demand for this has not been demonstrated. Alternatives, such as expanding the capacity of the Motorpoint Arena, do not seem to have been given enough consideration.

It has not been shown that the investment of over £200m that Council will provide to Live Nation (US) the developers and operators of the Arena, is the best use of public money at a time when many city services are stretched.

Decision processes on this do not show city democracy and accountability in a good light. Too much information has been hidden from public scrutiny.  Local residents feel ignored.

The lack of agreed funding and plans for promised public transport improvements is a matter of great concern. This must be urgently addressed, and steps taken to progress the Transport Strategy.

The climate and nature emergencies must be taken seriously. This Arena does not compare well with others in relation to its environmental credentials. Carbon emissions from both energy use and construction materials must be reduced. Repurposing should be preferred to demolish-and-rebuild.

The issues raised by local residents around the location of the Arena and the implications this will have on their lives, such as traffic and parking or disturbance during both construction and operation, must be acknowledged and steps taken to address these. 

In Our Vision for Cardiff, we propose that the Council change the planning mindset from consultation to involvement and then to co-production, engaging people in plan design. Communities need to be involved from the outset in shaping major proposals, rather than being presented with a plan that has all but been agreed, and in which major changes will not be considered.  Such an approach would certainly benefit plans for conference and music venues in Cardiff.