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The Update: 10 December 2024
Here is your Tuesday update, covering:
- Strong performance from Capital's library services in annual assessment
- Rhiwbeina Primary School named as one of the 49 recipients of a ‘Trees of Hope' Sycamore Gap sapling
- Public Consultation on Cardiff's Plan to Enhance Key Bus Routes
- Preferred bidder identified for Cardiff and Vale House-building Partnership
Strong performance from Capital's library services in annual assessment
Library services in Cardiff continue to offer high quality services to customers, a new report has found.
In the annual Welsh Public Library Standards, administered by Welsh Government, Cardiff has once again performed well against a range of quality indicators and measures that assess the services provided.
Cardiff has met all 13 core entitlements of the standards in full and, of the seven quality indicators which have targets, the library service is achieving six in full and one in part.
User support and event attendance continue to be key strengths of the service and staff clearly make efforts to ensure these are inclusive for customers with a wide range of needs and interests.
The annual assessment found that Cardiff is in the top quartile of Welsh library authorities for attendance at events per capita and the total number of attendees has risen by 80% compared to 2022-23. The service is also in the top quartile for both adult and children's issues, with adult book issues increasing by 16% and children's issues by 5% compared to 2022-23.
Rhiwbeina Primary School named as one of the 49 recipients of a ‘Trees of Hope' Sycamore Gap sapling
Rhiwbina Primary School in North Cardiff are among 49 recipients across the UK to receive a sapling from the felled Sycamore Gap Tree, which stood at Hadrian's Wall until it was unexpectedly cut down in September 2023.
The National Trust made the announcement during National Tree Week after individuals, groups, and organisations across the UK were invited to apply for a sapling, marking the anniversary of the of the felling of the much-loved tree last year.
Nearly 500 applications were received for the 49 saplings - one to represent each foot in height that the tree was at the time of felling.
Rhiwbina Primary School was successful in its entry which described how pupils have a real passion for learning about nature, and love being outdoors at every opportunity.
The school has used the story of the Sycamore Gap tree as an inspiration for learning about the important part trees play in our world, and as a symbol of hope in the face of man's foolishness.
Public Consultation on Cardiff's Plan to Enhance Key Bus Routes
Residents and commuters in Cardiff are invited to share their views on a new initiative to enhance six major bus routes into the city centre.
The public consultation will begin on December 9th and run for seven weeks until January 27th, and everyone who lives or travels into Cardiff is encouraged to read about the strategy and complete the short survey here.
Preferred bidder identified for Cardiff and Vale House-building Partnership
Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan Councils have reached a significant milestone in their exciting partnership to build high quality, sustainable affordable homes at pace across the region.
Following a competitive dialogue procurement process which has identified the preferred bidder to deliver the Cardiff and Vale Housing Partnership, Cardiff Council Cabinet will consider recommendations to approve the appointment of the preferred bidder as development partner at its next meeting on Thursday, December 12.
The partnership is Cardiff's second housing programme following the success of its award-winning Cardiff Living scheme, and forms part of its wider development plans - the largest council-led development programme in Wales, that has the capacity to deliver more than 4,000 new homes in the city, including at least 2,800 new council homes.
The collaboration with the Vale of Glamorgan is the result of the two authorities' commitment and vision to create exemplary homes and communities across the region to help tackle current housing pressures by delivering at least 2,260 new homes over the next 10 years.
Around half of all the new homes will be affordable properties to be retained by the Councils for social rent or shared ownership schemes, while the rest will be sold on the open market.
