Transcripts For BBCNEWS Cardiffs Growing Pains 20170701

Ina number of will be gales. Those winds will blow in a number of showers here to Western Scotland during sunday. Elsewhere to begin breaking with some sunny elsewhere to begin breaking with some sunny spells and many other is its going to be another dry day. Temperature wise looking at Highs Similarto temperature wise looking at highs similar to lows of today. From 18 to 23. That is your latest. Hello. This is bbc news. The headlines councillors at kensington and Chelsea Council say theyre preparing to elect a new leader, after the current one resigned because of what he described as Perceived Failings in their handling of the Grenfell Tower fire disaster. The former Chief Of Staff to the brexit secretary has said negotiations with the eu are being hamstrung by theresa mays lack of flexibility. James chapman said the Prime Minister made his former bosss job very difficult. The veteran film critic and former bbc presenter, barry norman, has died. He was 83. The chinese president warns against any challenge to his rule in hong kong, as its newly appointed Chief Executive is sworn in 20 years to the day since britain handed it back to china. The singer adele has cancelled her two concerts this weekend at wembley stadium. The singer says she is heartbroken, but has damaged her vocal cords. The British And Irish Lions have beaten new zealand in a thrilling second test to level the series. Thank you for your company for the last couple of hours. Now on bbc news, cardiffs growing pains. Is cardiff expanding too fast for its infrastructure to cope with its growth . I was born and bred in the city. The streets where i grew up have not changed much. You cannot say that for the Beating Heart of the capital. I know not everyone enjoys this and many people the most city with suspicion. They tell me that almost daily on my radio show and in a way ican daily on my radio show and in a way i can see why, because cardiff has benefited from being the capital city. But they are played to the place, it has taken its chance, reinventing itself against all the odds. I used to come to go to the mosque. It was docs back then, derelict and depressed. Industry and the population was shrinking, but then things began to change. Look at cardiff now. The city has completely transformed itself in around 20 yea rs. Transformed itself in around 20 years. Thejobs are in government, media, leisure and shopping. It describes itself as europes youngest capital and it has more growing to do. My dad used to be a bus driver and finished up on this very route taking to this around. The citys population is predicted to go up by another 80,000 over the next 20 years, and increase upper quarter. I have enjoyed watching it grow but i have my concerns. Tonight im trying to find out what the future may hold for my city. Firstly, peter finch. He has been charting the changing city in his books. He remembers the old days well. They were dark, the buildings we re well. They were dark, the buildings were dark, everything was grubby, Street Lights were dim, Pavements We Re Street Lights were dim, pavements were cracked. By comparison to what were cracked. By comparison to what we have now. You felt it was a place of work. It was for people who went to do dirty work. You did not come to do dirty work. You did not come to cardiff because you wanted to come here, it was a place you pass through. It was wonderful but it was not as it is now. The ability to go around to different destinations, to set ina around to different destinations, to set in a cafe on the street, but now they are everywhere, there are places to it from one place to the other which makes it into the city and the destination, and a great place to live. That is why so many houses are going up around the city. They cannot build them fast enough as more people are drawn here. People like this couple. They moved To Cardiff Bay from swindon when she got a job To Cardiff Bay from swindon when she gotajob in To Cardiff Bay from swindon when she got a job in insurance. To cardiff bay from swindon when she got ajob in insurance. My job rotters to cardiff. Once they came here we liked the place and he studied in cardiff, so we had an orientation towards cardiff. You have not told your wife about your student days . No. We can exploit that later. From cardiff bay be moved here to North Cardiff for a bigger house. Now we are thinking about starting a family. Since we like cardiff with that we would settle here and find a bigger house and then work on our plans. Cardiff is great. When i was here all i knew about it was that it was a small city, but now it is growing across. Even for work, there are quite a lot of companies in cardiff now compared to ten years ago. It is these Growth Pressures and housing shortages that have meant Cardiff Councils had to give Planning Permission to thousands of new homes on green fields north, west and east of the city. There has been a slowing down of House Building and it is important that we inject some pace and to that, support the Welsh Government and delivering more housing. The latest figures suggest that 45,000 housing. The latest figures suggest that 115,000 homes to be built in the next ten years in cardiff. Cardiff is not alone. Big success. His everywhere by getting bigger. Big successful cities are getting bigger everywhere. Economists say that our future is urban. When you get enough people and ideas rubbing up against each other, more growth happens. Andrew carter heads up one of the uks most influential think tank s own cities. Because of the investment that many of our cities are made in terms of making them nicer places to live and spend time, workers want to live in the areas as well. Firms want to be there because they gain a lot and workers want to be there because the workers are there, but increasingly our cities are nice places to live. Cardiff has done well at attracting business and people. We have seen Tens Of Thousands of new jobs people. We have seen Tens Of Thousands of newjobs that some other cities have done better, creating more highly paid employment and there are other challenges. Too many schools are underperforming and nearly a third of households in the city, over 41,000 homes, nearly a third of households in the city, over41,000 homes, i deem nearly a third of households in the city, over 41,000 homes, i deem to be living in poverty. Are deemed to be. So the place has work to do but it has now caught on to something long perceived by one of its rivals, creating major urban design around major transport hubs. Large sections of the city centre will be transformed in the coming yea rs by will be transformed in the coming years by several major office developments, like this one, central square. Paul mccartney is in charge of it, and new generation of modernising Property Developers. Hes taken me around the new bbc world headquarters, which he says is key to ca rd iffs world headquarters, which he says is key to cardiffs regeneration. World headquarters, which he says is key to cardiffs regenerationm world headquarters, which he says is key to cardiffs regeneration. It is key to cardiffs regeneration. It is key to cardiffs regeneration. It is key to this location having the Train Station here the links cardiff with the world. You can have a meeting here in the morning, get the 11a meeting here in the morning, get the 11 a entry into manchester in the studio by the afternoon. This has been a team effort from the beginning, the council have put their neck on the line to generate projects like this, funders and brought in hundreds of millions of pounds, and People Like Us are using oui pounds, and People Like Us are using our skills to allow the delivery of Public Private sector partnerships. Some would say Property Developers in cardiff have not always prioritise design quality, but when Paul Mccarthy saw these images he decided Foster And Partners with the only ones for the bbc hq. Architecture is very subjective. Some people like a certain building and some people hate it, that is the nature of architecture. This building shows a new face to the city for people arriving here for the first time, author people who come here every day to work and shop and want to be proud of the city. Cities have become more like businesses and like many in his world, Paul Mccarthy sees them as competing in a Beauty Contest for international investment. We need people Like Deutsche Bank who are relocating out of londons to birmingham to take cardiff seriously. But to take cardiff seriously. But to take cardiff seriously the need cardiff to be on an architectural map and i think this development will start to do this. Cardiff needs to look good to attract business . Like you and me, it needs to look good to attract people. Paul is from cardiff like me and he is passionate about the place, but i still have worries. If all the new work is in the centre and all the new homes in on the outskirts, how will people get between the two. How will 80,000 extra people get around the city. And without making the pollution worse. With buses and trains packed already, the Council Knows this will put more pressure on the roads. This route is already the most congested in wales. The council says traffic will increase by a third, that means journeys will be extended by about seven minutes. And on routes like this, you can see how busy it is up cathedral road, the delays could be even worse. Cathedral road, the delays could be even worse. Do cathedral road, the delays could be even worse. Do you cathedral road, the delays could be even worse. Do you think the traffic is getting worse . No doubt. Especially rush rush hour, you a lwa ys especially rush rush hour, you always expected the taking your time on this road. Especially during rush hour. There is concerned there will be more congestion have to developments like this. They are building a small town here and over 20 years we will see 7000 homes, schools and leisure facilities. We are going to create 350 acres of open space and opportunities for people to live, work and play in this environment. This is a garden city that is going offered a great lifestyle for a lot of people. They are contributing £28 million for transport here and in an agreement with the Council Called section one 06. People are walking, cycling and on buses in the pictures. The Developers Need to emphasise Public Transport is part of their so called 5050 transport is part of their so called 50 50 vision. To find out what that means we went to the council hq when the leader has just taken up the reins. We have to make sure the investment is there that we are delivering that. There is a contribution of 20,000,001 place to put infrastructure in place. We have to look at Behaviour Change and changing the way that people travel around the city. We are are targeting a 50 50 split. It is critical that we invest widely to google s options in front of people and encourage them given the option is to do that. The council wants to reduce car journeys is to do that. The council wants to reduce carjourneys to half of the total. I am eating a former planner who thinks that it is unrealistic. Cardiff has to grow but it has to do that in a more sustainable place than this, at least initially. This is in the countryside. Transport is very bad in this area. He studied the plans for elsewhere and thinks the plans for elsewhere and thinks the cardiffs new Housing Estates are going to make things worse before they get better. People do not like travelling by bus, they will only use Public Transport that it is better than a private car, it is reasonably priced and accessible. None of those things apply in this area. In nearby areas between 75 85 of people coming by car and i expect the same to happen here because it Isa Similararea the same to happen here because it is a similar area and that is how people behave. The developers will need to provide cost barking scott Back Parking Places will need to provide car parking spaces. In cardiff there are some sporadic bus lanes that just cardiff there are some sporadic bus lanes thatjust increase the congestion because they are not continuous and they cannot be because of obstacles in place. There is already serious congestion in the area at times. Most of these cars just have one passenger and there are not many cyclists or many pedestrians. Some bus lanes have been built but they disappear at bottlenecks. You can see how much the flames are needed whenever you get on a bus. I get up at 7am, get ready, have breakfast and i leave around ten to eight. I catch a bus from near my house to reach the office every day. This lady is one office every day. This lady is one of 30,000 people in east cardiff that does not have access to a railway station. Many take to the road with predictable results. Sometimes i get feed, sometimes they dont, it depends how busy it is. So from here to newport road it will be quite busy at this time of the day. Her bus goes past all the traffic bus lanes, but they often peter out when the road narrows. It is ten to nine. Im going to be late to work today. Hopefully not. She arrives five minutes late. Today the bus has taken more than an hour to travel for hours, to travel for miles, and that is the express. My dad used to work in this bus depot. This lady was the council to invest in more bus lanes. When there are bus lanes the journeys are quicker, so bus lanes. When there are Bus Lanes Thejourneys are quicker, so i think it is useful and it helps to keep the traffic moving. We have to have bus lanes and change our habits. Cynthia says that she needs 40 more buses to cope, so will the council give her the money . buses to cope, so will the council give her the money . I would like more buses and bus lanes, i think they are effective. In terms of money, i am they are effective. In terms of money, iam not they are effective. In terms of money, i am not going to commit in any particular scheme but that is desired a recognition that we need to invest in Public Transport means 01 to invest in Public Transport means or you will be faced with gridlock. How do you get a bus lane through a place there is small . Im not going to comment on any specific examples. Rest assured those Rapid Transit corridors have been identified with means to achieving them. The council says that they will encourage rather than forced to switch to Public Transport, but others think the opposite. They think this will to get people out of their cars and onto trains and buses, will that work . It will not work under the current plans which seem to be that they want to make the city council driving around council such a horrible experience that people will be forced out of their cars and onto the buses. There is another way the council thinks that people in cardiff could help meet its ambitious transport targets. It once one in five double journeys to be made by bicycle by 2026. Really . I am proud to say that i am a cyclist in cardiff. I cycle regularly from home to work. I have had some scrapes along the way. The one thing i have learned is that cycling around cardiff is not safe or easy. Where are you going . Regular cyclist said there are too many incidents like this and the city needs more safe cycle routes to separate them from motorists. I come with a cycling campaign. Cyclists are taking their lives into their own hands, being forced to share space with two tonne metal boxes in an environment that has been designed around Motor Traffic rather than human traffic. You tend to limit the diverse at your people riding bikes. The council has been working with danish experts on a plan for a network of cycle lanes and other improvements. This is similar to what has happened in london. Cycling groups welcomed the plans in principle but it is also scepticism. Putting it into practice in implementing those changes will be a monumental challenge and far above anything that has ever happened in cardiff before. I do think the council have been brave enough to claim priority from Motor Traffic. Evidence shows it is with segregated lanes like this, or when you eliminate traffic altogether, that you really bruised cycling. London spent £17 a head on cycling facilities, cardiff spends £3. This is our only segregated bus lane, all 80 metres of it. The council says there will be more safe routes and denies It Cycling Targets are unrealistic. As the administration develops unrealistic. As the administration d evelo ps we unrealistic. As the administration develops we will be looking at what Infrastructure Interventions we need to make across the city to enable the transit of people on bikes into the transit of people on bikes into the city centre or across. More walking, more cycling, more buses we hope. Anything else . The cardiff underground. It opened two months ago. We are proud to announce the cardiff underground is officially an april fool. The Man Cardiff Underground is officially an aprilfool. The man behind the prank and this map agrees that cardiff needs a better transport network. And this map agrees that cardiff needs a better transport Networkm Isa Needs A Better Transport networkm is a fantasy but if it existed it would be amazing. Cardiff is growing so we would be amazing. Cardiff is growing so we need a massive improvement in infrastructure. And worried about suburban development because they are expanding quickly and we might have to suck up there we are losing a little bit of greenland, but i feel sorry for those people who will be living in these neighbourhoods without the infrastructure and Public Transport to get around cardiff. Traffic is so bad on the roads already, what will it be like coming in in ten years . Real key knitters are well aware of the pressure already on the trains. It is predicted that will be an extra 7 million journeys is predicted that will be an extra 7 millionjourneys a year is predicted that will be an extra 7 million journeys a year into cardiff by 2026, an increase of 50 . How will the network called . This could be the answer, the much topped about metro. Trains are transcoding every 15 minutes all linked up to buses. Supporters say it could be a game changer, creating more jobs supporters say it could be a game changer, creating morejobs in the ballets in relieving Housing Pressure on cardiff full up new stations could help people get across the city, east to west. It is happening. Over £700 million of investment in the city deal are committed to delivering the metro. It will change how people get around cardiff in south wales. It is making growth equitable and making sure that the Economic Development of cardiff drives a quality into the ballets as well. Will it make a difference in time for all the growth . The first phase should be completed in six years which should help with congestion coming into cardiff from the ballets. But that is now use to commuters in the west east, the metro for them is years off and they could be in for a difficult time. There is a Long Development process here going back yea rs Development Process here going back years and years. I am impatient to get that into process as soon as possible and do what i can to make it happen. Funding public schemes and cities today is largely about council is doing deals and making the most of it. Billions of pounds are changing hands on cardiff between landowners and developers. New council is cash strapped, but as the Planning Authority it has power. As it used it well . We are not using the money on infrastructure first and then building the development at the words. We could ever have the Assembly Government to put the money up Assembly Government to put the money upfor Assembly Government to put the money up for that first and then built. We could have demanded more from the developers, but the Developers Need to extra ct developers, but the Developers Need to extract a certain amount of return from their investment and there comes a point where they say that they could build another 400 houses here or put money into the highway and the 400 houses get built of the highway. Did we need more sharks and deal breakers on the council . It wouldve been useful if there was Someone Council . It wouldve been useful if there was someone in their battling a little bit harder on the side the people who live here, but that is painting and extreme picture. The council has been accused of not being up to the job of negotiating with the private sector to get the best deals. I think it has been a Strong Partnership that will deliver for cardiff. Others say it is time to give cities more power to finance the growth. When you look its cities on the continent of europe or in north america, they are more empowered, they have more responsibilities, powers and financial leaders to be able to respond to the pressures that they have. We need to move towards a syste m have. We need to move towards a system where cardiff and other uk cities are more empowered to make the decisions that will benefit their place and people. Cardiffs spectacular growth as a mark of that success , spectacular growth as a mark of that success, but the next few years could be a bumpy ride for its citizens. The city needs to keep building to provide homes they growing families can afford. If the place grows too fast without enough Public Transport, commuters will suffer even more. The challenge is to spread the benefits of growth to everyone, People Living in the ballets a nd everyone, People Living in the ballets and in cardiffs deprived communities, and to make sure its citizens do not suffer at the cost of more congestion and a reduced quality of life. If cardiff does not get that right, people will be at king who is all this growth actually for . People will be a thing who is all this growth actually for . Some reasonable weather around this weekend, not dry for everyone, we do have a Weather Front moving in at the moment to scotland and northern ireland. It will bring thicker cloud and some rain. The client will break up and some rain. The client will break up across and some rain. The client will break up across england and wales together some decent spells of sunshine. Were looking at temperatures in the low 20s, 23 degrees the top temperature in about london. These temperatures are about right for this time of year. Overnight there is some cloud coming and across england and wales and could be some patchy rain. Showers across the north West Of Scotland driven by strong winds, Gale Force Wind as we go through the night. Breezy here into sunday, driving further showers that could be quite heady in the West Of Scotland. The cloud will break up of some sunny spells coming through and temperatures will be similarto through and temperatures will be similar to today, 18 22 degrees. It will feel pleasant in the sunshine. That issue weather. This is bbc news. The headlines at two. The government rejects calls to bring in commissioners to run kensington and Chelsea Council but says it will keep a close eye as the Council Prepares to elect a new leader. The former Chief Of Staff to the brexit secretary david davis claims negotiations with the eu are being hamstrung by theresa mays lack of flexibility. The prominent film critic and former bbc presenter, barry norman, dies at the age of 83. The director general of the bbc, tony hall has described him as a first class presenter and critic. Also in the next hour. Marching against austerity. Thousands take to the streets in Central London the shadow Chancellorjohn Mcdonnell is due to address the rally when it arrives in Parliament Square this afternoon