Cardiff Council Update: 9th October

Welcome to the last update of the week from Cardiff Council, covering: Cardiff cases and tests; schools affected by COVID-19; green garden waste collections suspended over the winter months to help the council deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure general waste, recycling and food waste collections can continue to take place; improvements in Cardiff's air quality; a call to join the 'One Planet' challenge; a group from Cardiff's mental health day service produce an animation that reflects their lived experiences; and the school music service can restart.

Cardiff Cases and Tests - Last 7 Days Data

#KeepCardiffSafe #KeepWalesSafe

Follow the guidelines:

www.cardiff.gov.uk/lockdown

Based on latest figures from Public Health Wales, data correct as of:

8 October 2020

Cases: 546

Cases per 100,000 population: 148.8

Testing episodes: 5,556

Testing per 100,000 population: 1,514.3

Positive proportion: 9.8%

Update on schools affected by COVID-19: Friday, 9^thOctober

Eastern High School

A positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Eastern High School. 21 pupils from Year 9 have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case. No staff members are affected due to social distancing measures in place.

Ysgol Bro Edern

A positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed Ysgol Bro Edern. 33 pupils from Year 9 and two members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Pencaerau Primary school

A positive case of COVID-19 has been confirmed at Pencaerau Primary school. 28 pupils from Year 2 and two members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Green garden waste collections suspended over the winter months

Collections for garden-waste across Cardiff are to be suspended for four months in order to help the Council deal with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and to ensure general waste, recycling and food waste collections can continue to take place.

The once-a-month, garden waste collections, which normally take place in November, December, January and February will be halted, although residents will be able to have Christmas trees collected between January 4^thand January 11th.

October's fortnightly garden waste collections will continue as normal. This should allow residents to remove any autumn leaf fall and clear any garden waste before winter.

Spring collections will begin in March when the council plans to re-introduce fortnightly, garden waste collections. Previously March collections were monthly.

Residents will still be able to bring green waste to the city's recycling centres at Lamby Way and Bessemer Close.

Cllr Michael Michael, Cabinet Member for Clean Streets, Environment and Recycling said: "We need to be confident we can continue to remove general waste, recycling and food waste from our streets and the recent rise in infection rates across the city is concerning. It's already beginning to impact our workforce.

"Right now we need our resources targeted at waste streams nobody wants to see on the streets. Halting garden waste collections at a time of year when garden waste is naturally, considerably, lower, is our best chance of making sure we can keep our streets clean while we battle the pandemic. This move will give our frontline staff some resilience. I realise this may be challenging for some residents, but I hope they understand the reasons why we have to do this now."

Improvements in Cardiff's air quality

Cardiff is celebrating Clean Air Day today with news, based on provisional results, that there has been a significant decrease in Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels across the city.

The impact of Covid, less traffic on the roads generally, and more people choosing to walk and cycle, has seen Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) levels reduce by 52% in the city centre between May and August this year, compared with the same period last year.

The data also shows that despite traffic levels picking up again following the early lockdown, air quality levels have improved at every testing site across the city compared with like-for-like data from 2019.

Cllr Caro Wild, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport said: "We have been closely monitoring the traffic flow and air quality data across the city to assess the impact of the pandemic and of Castle Street's closure to motor vehicles.

"As you would expect these findings show that air quality has improved dramatically in the city centre this year, but crucially it has also improved in all areas of the city compared with last year, even during the months after the initial lockdown. Simply put, fewer car journeys are taking place, and pleasingly, more journeys appear to be taking place by bike and on foot."

Prior to this year's events, an independent survey commissioned by the Council forecast that, if things remained the same, then future NO2pollution levels on Castle Street would breach EU legal limits beyond 2021, with other nearby roads also a cause for concern. For this reason, the council already had plans for Castle Street which would reduce traffic flows.

The Council is considering options to reopen Castle Street. These will have to take into consideration the clean air requirements set by Welsh Government's Legal Directive to reduce pollution levels on the street. Options on re-opening will also look at ways social-distancing guidelines can continue to be followed on Castle Street.

Cardiff residents called on to join the 'One Planet' challenge

An ambitious new plan designed to drive Cardiff towards becoming a carbon neutral city by 2030 has been unveiled by Cardiff Council

‘One Planet Cardiff' sets out the Council's response to the climate change emergency and calls upon businesses and residents to join forces with the council to make the lifestyle changes required, if Wales' capital is to become a truly ‘Green' and sustainable city over the next ten years.

The strategy, which will go to Cardiff Council's Cabinet for approval on Thursday, October 15, launches in the same month as the council switches on its new 9MW solar farm.

Built on the old Lamby Way landfill site, the solar farm - which is equivalent in size to 20 Principality Stadium pitches - will offset almost 3,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). It also has the ability to generate enough Green energy to power approximately 2,900 homes every year for 35 years.

The solar farm is just one of a number of projects the council has brought to fruition to help tackle the Climate Emergency. The One Planet strategy documents several others which will go to consultation, including:

A new district heating scheme;
Increasing tree canopy coverage in the city by 25%;
Ending the council's use of single-use plastics;
Reopening the city centre's canals as part of a sustainable water management scheme;
A farm park at Forest Farm to produce food for the city; and
A sustainable food market in Cardiff market

Animation from city's day service about mental health experiences

A group of individuals from Cardiff's mental health day service have produced an animation that reflects their lived experiences of mental health conditions.

The project, ‘Beyond the Label' is funded by the National Lottery and is a collaboration with Cardiff Council's Ty Canna Mental Health Outreach Service and Breath Creative.

Entitled ‘Diamond', the video was produced over a period of three months, from May to July 2020, with eight individuals who engage with the service having weekly online sessions with facilitators to create artwork and writing for the animation.

Contributors also worked with composer and sound artist John Rea to create individual sound pieces of themselves reciting their poetry, sometimes singing and playing instruments. The collection of work was used by Jane Hubbard to create the animation.

Ty Canna provides one-to-one mental health support for people across the city and has been organising a range of online activities during the pandemic to help individuals feel less isolated, such as mental health workshops, French classes, yoga and cooking skills.

Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Susan Elsmore, said: "The wide range of support available from Ty Canna staff, its volunteers and its partners are valued by us all, particularly in these challenging times. The outcome of this project is very moving and a fantastic achievement from everyone involved."

The collaboration with Breathe Creative takes a ‘co-creative' approach which offers a safe and therapeutic environment to engage with the arts and improve wellbeing through creative expression.

School music service can restart

Music tuition in schools is set to recommence this month following its temporary withdrawal due to COVID-19.

Cardiff Council has been working closely with Cardiff County and Vale of Glamorgan Music Service to make preparations for the safe return of music tuition in schools.

A series of health and safety measures, in line with Welsh Government guidance, are now in place to help keep children, tutors and school communities safe while minimising the risk of the spread of COVID-19.

This includes adaptations to the way lessons are delivered, new guidance for tutors, social distancing measures and enhanced hygiene processes.

Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "A cautious approach to the restart of the Music Service has been necessary to ensure the safety of pupils and staff and preparations have varied from school-to-school dependant on the individual space and capacity.