what we do

Nerys Lloyd-Pierce, Chair of Cardiff Civic Society

Cardiff Civic Society’s work includes protecting and enhancing our much-cherished green space and defending it against privatisation, protecting our built environment and campaigning for better design of new developments, this includes tackling the issue of affordable housing, or to be more precise, the lack of it.  And the paltry nature of developers’ Section 106 contributions for community and social infrastructure.

 Over the last few years we have run more than 40 campaigns, as well supporting other community organisations with their own campaigns to protect the spaces they hold dear.

 We lobby the council and the Welsh Government on a host of issues from biodiversity loss and the destruction of working class heritage, to better planning policies, - ones that really give agency to communities -to equality of access to green space and better quality affordable housing.

Challgenging the platitudes of power

We are more than happy to challenge the platitudes the powers that be deliver.  For example, the recent press interview with the newly elected cabinet member for Climate Change, who conveniently forgot to mention the impact of construction and demolition on a warming world!

 And we also harness friendly councillors and MSs to deliver written and oral questions to full cabinet and chamber, so that the responses are then a matter of public record.

Annual Chair’s Report 2023-24

At our annual general meeting in Autumn 2024 at the Oasis Centre, Nerys Lloyd-Pierce gave the following chair’s report.

It’s been another very busy year fighting campaigns and working hard to make Cardiff a better place for everyone to live in.

As we all need some good news, I’ll start with our successful campaign to secure greater protection for our city’s traditional drinking houses.

We launched our campaign on March 1st last year, at The Claude in Roath, in conjunction with the CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Meetings with the council, plus media coverage, resulted in the council producing a list of more than 70 pubs to be ‘locally listed’.  This isn’t a golden bullet, but it is a huge improvement on pubs being left wide open to the whims of developers.  A consultation on the list runs until the 18th of this month.

We worked with two philosophy lecturers from Cardiff University on a series of three workshops held here in Splott and in Grangetown, on the theme of Is Cardiff Beautiful.  We received some very interesting insights into the issue of aesthetic justice, how people perceive beauty, and how beauty, or the lack of it, impacts on the quality of peoples’ lives.  We will feed the results into the Replacepement Local Development Plan, giving a voice to people whose opinions may be overlooked or ignored.   

We have enjoyed some exceptional forays into Cardiff’s less celebrated green spaces, most recently on a hugely enjoyable visit to Caerau Hillfort, one of the largest hillforts in the UK, and the largest in south Wales. What’s more, significant enough to be the subject of a Time Team programme.

We are always looking for more help to carry out various aspects of our work. And we have a vacancy for an events organiser.  If anyone has ideas of an event, or events, they’d like to organise, then please do get in touch.

Following the success of our bat walk, led by Andy Karran from Gwent Wildlife Trust, our next event is also nature-themed, this time a Zoom talk on our fascinating urban peregrines, who nest on City Hall, among other places. It will take place on November 12 at 7pm – further details to follow.

Which brings me to our Treasurer’s report.  Thanks to our new treasurer, Louise Gray, with support from Ceri Williams, to whom we are very grateful.  Our accounts are prepared and ready to be submitted to the Charity Commission. Sadly, our long-serving treasurer had to bow out due to illness.  The accounts have been sent to AGM attendees. However, in brief, you’ll be glad to know that the Society is solvent, and has sufficient funds to continue with its work.

Join us!

It may sometimes seem like an unequal battle, but we draw strength from this quote from late union leader, Bob Crow: If you fight, you won’t always win,  but if you don’t fight, you will always lose.

 And if anyone can join us in this fight, and help share the load, we’d be delighted to hear from you.