I wrote a short blog on the subject of car dependency in 2021. Given the news today re a potential Road User Charge in Cardiff I thought a brief update would be in order... I know that fuel duties and vehicle excise duties raise about £32BN each year for HM Treasury...and that roads can provide … Continue reading Cars, Congestion, Health and Road Pricing…
Category: High Street
Mark Barry, May 2022: Submission to Senedd Climate Change Committee
This is a version of my submission to the Senedd Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, in May 2022 as part of their review of bus and rail transport in Wales . The transcript is here. To note: the views and opinions expressed in this paper are those of Mark Barry and no other person … Continue reading Mark Barry, May 2022: Submission to Senedd Climate Change Committee
Wales’ Metros – Update Feb 2022
A summary of this blog appeared in the Business Section of the Western Mail in March 2022 There has been some recent coverage in the media and some social media chatter about Wales’ Metro projects, their status and what they might deliver. Given my involvement in all of them – Cardiff/South Wales since 2010 and … Continue reading Wales’ Metros – Update Feb 2022
Covid19, Safe Spaces & Wellfield Road?
Coronavirus is and will continue have a big impact on how we live, how we work …and how and when we move. This presents an opportunity to recraft our urban environment so that it safer, cleaner, greener and helps support local economies. Already many cities elsewhere in the UK, and around the world [i] [ii] … Continue reading Covid19, Safe Spaces & Wellfield Road?
Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region #2
Last year I published a blog on Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region. This provoked a lot of discussion and some feedback from me in subsequent blogs. To bring some shape to the debate, the Design Commission for Wales working with me, Cardiff University, Tirion Homes, Community Housing Cymru, Cardiff Capital Region and … Continue reading Transit Oriented Development in the Cardiff Capital Region #2
WG National Development Framework – some quick reflections…
In August this year, Welsh Government (WG) published its National Development Framework[i] (NDF) for consultation (which is designed to complement and provide more spatial priorities for Planning Policy Wales PPW published in 2018[ii]). There is much to applaud – especially the emphasis on Transit Oriented Development (see Policy 1 - Sustainable Urban Growth) and the … Continue reading WG National Development Framework – some quick reflections…
Welsh Paradores and Sourdough Bread
Post Script. The Welsh Government Five Year Tourism Plan published early in 2020 now includes a commitment to develop a "Welsh Paradore". See Page 17! Growing the foundational economy across the South Wales Valleys... Wales’ City Regions are still in nascent form and grappling with how to address long term and structural socio-economic challenges with … Continue reading Welsh Paradores and Sourdough Bread
Swansea Bay Metro & City Deal
This is the transcript of the speech I gave at a Policy Form Wales, Swansea Bay City Deal Conference in April 2019 Thank you, Suzy. I spent about a week, preparing a brilliant presentation for you, really top quality, but it’s not working so you can’t see it! That’s just the way it goes, so … Continue reading Swansea Bay Metro & City Deal
Milgi, Cardiff…the end of an era
It's Sunday afternoon on 14th April 2019 and I have just got home and am a little bit sad. Geraldine and I have just had our last ever Sunday lunch (and a few pints) at Milgi on City Rd. Milgi has become an institution and a beacon for the independent food, music and art scene … Continue reading Milgi, Cardiff…the end of an era
Mark Barry 