Cardiff as an area.

[goats]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

The council restricted the amount of bedrooms a house could have after people complained about landlords squeezing 6-8 bedrooms into a house. Unfortunately, this was after 15 years of letting them do whatever they wanted and never checking to see if a landlord had added a couple more bedrooms on the sly. I think you can still apply for a HMO but for a smaller number, although I saw plans being approved for a 6 bed house recently.

I had to move out in the end. Was disappointed because apart from (some of) the students it was a good place to live.

The HMO licensing for Cardiff has collapsed by all accounts, the council made the ridiculous move or idea to try an introduce families back into the area by not re issueing licences. No families want to live among the student population, any decent landlords had enough and started to sell up, probably to the new type of idiot landlord in for a quick buck. A guy I know who has about 25 houses said you can basically just do what you want now, whether that’s actually true or not I don’t know. I dont think Cathays has changed that much over the years, if anything, the students cannot cope with getting the refuse correct, they either miss it or contaminate it so it’s left to be ripped apart. Most of the houses are run by horrible agencies so they chuck everything on the street come end of contract.
The council really need to get a grip of it, all they seem to do is cut services so we are where we are. Still, there’s a few nice cycle lanes about and another few million being spent on one along the rec for no apparent reason.

[goats]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Do the Council have people who check?

Do any Councils?

Mine doesn't - apart from a few overworked survivors of the the great Austerity Cull since 2010 who manage the odd sample check of known rogue landlords.

Once upon a time it was different.

RCT in Treforest check their HMO’s a lot….a different ball game to running one in Cardiff. Think Cardiff council were hoping most students would just go an live in the new swanky tower block halls they let these big corporations build, leaving Cathays free to try and sort it out.
It’s not really working out that way though…..

[Dembe]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Yeah, Cathays.

There was literally ripped open black bags strewn across the floor, broken windows and the people looked miserable as feck, which is either a symptom or a cause.

To be fair, a few houses looked like they had pride about them but it was like pissing in the wind.

It was quite oppressive and I couldn't wait to get on the M4.

The reason why I've been moved enough to post my observations is because I've been thinking a lot recently about the society we live in and questioning when we lost our sense of our environment. It would be very difficult to pinpoint a definitive time, of course but it seems to have got worse in the last 10 years or so.

Most local areas the same I think.

They've upgraded the kids playground by us, new pitch laid for football/basketball its all nicely fenced (old one wasn't and every goal would mean a kid running miles to retrieve the ball) and the whole park is just full of litter from the kids who have absolutely no respect for the area, it's definitely helped in getting more kids out to play rather than sitting on their tablets at home, but they just don't look after anything, who do you blame for that?

[JamesWales]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Too many chiefs not enough indians is a phrase that springs to mind. There is a lack of people on the ground doing the simpler things that can make a difference - clearing litter, cutting back vegetation, painting railings and the like. I dont think Cardiff is particularly bad though IMO.

[Dembe]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

RCT in Treforest check their HMO’s a lot….a different ball game to running one in Cardiff. Think Cardiff council were hoping most students would just go an live in the new swanky tower block halls they let these big corporations build, leaving Cathays free to try and sort it out.
It’s not really working out that way though…..

Treforest is full of dog shit. Everywhere you step. Whole place has been overtaken by students and you can tell it's gotten gradually worse as the years have gone by, litter on the streets etc. Weirdly they all seem decent when you talk to them, no real anti social issues mad parties etc. But yeah the place is a shithole.

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Do the Council have people who check?

Do any Councils?

Mine doesn't - apart from a few overworked survivors of the the great Austerity Cull since 2010 who manage the odd sample check of known rogue landlords.

Once upon a time it was different.

I know someone who works for the council and he asked the office directly about this but didn't get a satisfactory answer. Maybe there's too many and there would be too much litigation.

With regards to the rubbish, the council have at least tried to get this in order with directives and threats of fines but according to a councillor it was difficult to prove whose rubbish was whose, even if it's strewn outside someone's house.

Even though the council have mismanaged the area in some ways, I have a little sympathy for them. Some of them have good intentions but they're skint. The university, on the other hand, don't seem to give a toss and are only interested in buying up more land.

[goats]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Treforest is full of dog shit. Everywhere you step. Whole place has been overtaken by students and you can tell it's gotten gradually worse as the years have gone by, litter on the streets etc. Weirdly they all seem decent when you talk to them, no real anti social issues mad parties etc. But yeah the place is a shithole.

They are all foreign students now, well must be 80% anyway. 20 years ago probably 20%. Quite clueless when it comes to rubbish but they can be educated and don’t like the thought of being fined. Never seen much dog crap, nine on my street, never even seen a dog!

[goats]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

I know someone who works for the council and he asked the office directly about this but didn't get a satisfactory answer. Maybe there's too many and there would be too much litigation.

With regards to the rubbish, the council have at least tried to get this in order with directives and threats of fines but according to a councillor it was difficult to prove whose rubbish was whose, even if it's strewn outside someone's house.

Even though the council have mismanaged the area in some ways, I have a little sympathy for them. Some of them have good intentions but they're skint. The university, on the other hand, don't seem to give a toss and are only interested in buying up more land.

Yes heard a group of cardiff landlords got together to take the council to court, think the council lost or backed off….

[Rjk]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

it's (Cathays) far from the worst student area I've seen, it's mostly safe, has a good vibe and some decent places to eat, usually there isn't even that much litter - but if you catch it on a bad day it's horrendous.

[Tuerto]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

it's (Cathays) far from the worst student area I've seen, it's mostly safe, has a good vibe and some decent places to eat, usually there isn't even that much litter - but if you catch it on a bad day it's horrendous.

This is very accurate. It's terrible at end of term times , when the students are clearing out all the stuff they won't take with them. That can be eight people in one house. Add at least an extra 4 bags per person if they're female.

[Citizen's Nephew]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

That’s bollocks

👍

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

Yes heard a group of cardiff landlords got together to take the council to court, think the council lost or backed off….

There is, apparently, a national regulatory body which deals with appeals for planning applications that have been refused by councils. They usually find in favour of the investor/developer and so there's little point wasting time and public money fighting this. It seems the council is over a barrel to a certain extent too. (I think this I've got this right - a former neighbour of mine took a deep dive on this; I'll have to ask her the details).

[Bluebirdman Of Alcathays]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

it's (Cathays) far from the worst student area I've seen, it's mostly safe, has a good vibe and some decent places to eat, usually there isn't even that much litter - but if you catch it on a bad day it's horrendous.

But the bad days are usually once a week.

[Tuerto]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

I know someone who works for the council and he asked the office directly about this but didn't get a satisfactory answer. Maybe there's too many and there would be too much litigation.

With regards to the rubbish, the council have at least tried to get this in order with directives and threats of fines but according to a councillor it was difficult to prove whose rubbish was whose, even if it's strewn outside someone's house.

Even though the council have mismanaged the area in some ways, I have a little sympathy for them. Some of them have good intentions but they're skint. The university, on the other hand, don't seem to give a toss and are only interested in buying up more land.

Buying up more land and putting on courses that have little relevance and put young people in a shit load of debt. Universities are just big business now.

[Rjk]

Re: Cardiff as an area.

But the bad days are usually once a week.

it's still one of my favourite parts of Cardiff