Cardiff Canal Quarter project stalled

It is probably embarrassed, how one canal is so lavished upon while another is treated as a future footpath with a stagnant water feature... Cardiff, the many (two) faces of Cardiff and Desolation Bay... Can we have a clock to count down the days...

So even Nation. Cymru falls for the old woves’ tale that the Dock Feeder has something to do with the Glamorganshire Canal. It DOESN’T! The Dock Feeder runs from Blackweir, through Bute Park CROSSED OVER the Glamoganshire Canal in an aqueduct at the north-east corner of the castle, continues along what is now the line of the Boulevard de Nantes to Park Place takes a right turn under the new building on the corner then down behind the former Park Hotel to be uncovered on Churchill Way. It can also be seen onTyndal Streetwhich crosses it . It did indeed feed the original Bute East Dock, now filled in, but also Bute West Dock, and now in vital in keeping what is now called Atlantic Wharf and Roath Dock fresh. The Bute East Dock certainly did NOT ‘service’ the Glamorganshire Canal which went down the other side of Butetown, under the railway bridge at the e nd of St Mary Street past the Custom House, preserved as part of the new Premier Inn, with connections to the Log Floats between it and the river, but exiting directly into the Taff above Hamadryad

Absolute waste of money, I have no doubt that they will advise us shortly that due to rising costs the plans will be amended as a cost cutting exercise. The city is starting to look worse and worse yet these vanity projects keep getting approved.

When they do these kind of projects they should see it through from start to finish, making sure everything is in place including funding before they start. What they've done so far.is hardly attractive in anyway. I thought that was it for the canal. Nothing more, until I saw this article.

This issue highlights the failings of UK project management - lots of consultants involved, funding released in small amounts and no clear plan. Ten years ago the European Union changed its' project delivery methodology with Rail Baltica - a plan on one page a new slow freight focused railway through Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with links to new airports, seaports and road networks. They created one management team which was led by a procurement manager who i used to mentor. This approach enabled the well-paid design roles for all the projects to be based in the region and not locations such as Finland. Plus Vinci (France) bought suppliers in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia; this was supported by Rail Balticas procurement team. There is a strong argument to be made for Transport for Wales over the next five years to manage road projects as well as Trains and Buses. Then they could create design and engineering hubs near the integrated transport hubs in economically depressed towns such as Port Talbot and Rhyl - so reduce reliance on consultants and save money. Sadly the UK never learns from others.

It is certainly not highly anticipated. To call the open drain they've created in Churchill Way a canal is embarrassing. A colossal waste of money that's done nothing to improve the area. I hope the project is dead and any further funds are spent on something that actually benefits the people of Cardiff.

If you read in to the history of Cardiff, it's quite horrifying to discover how much was lost. Multiple canals, town walls, a monastery, to name a few. There was much beauty in the city centre once, but all we can manage these days are over priced beige blocks.

Maybe they realised having a open sewer wasn't a good idea