Bute Park to keep extended opening hours

Posted by Now Cardiff on Sep 20, 2012

Bute Park will remain open for longer following a successful pilot scheme which has proved to be popular with pedestrians, cyclists, joggers and dog-walkers.

During the pilot, users of the park were surveyed and asked whether they would like the extended opening hours to be permanent, a staggering 96% of people said yes.

More than half of the people surveyed said they used the route to commute to work, with 74% also saying that the longer opening times would help them to carry on cycling through the winter.

Cabinet Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture, Cllr Huw Thomas said: “We have listened to the users of Bute Park and have taken on board the request from cyclists to continue extending the opening hours of the park.

“Bute Park is a fantastic green space in the heart of our city and provides a beautiful, tranquil route for many people to walk and cycle through.”

The Millennium Bridge, which links Sophia Gardens to Bute Park and the gate at Fisher’s Bridge near the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama (RWCMD) will now remain open until 7pm throughout the winter. All other access gates will follow the normal closing times, which is 30 minutes before dusk.

Along with the extended opening hours Cardiff Council are teaming up with The Friends of Bute Park and cycling groups to promote safety messages asking people to ‘be seen, be aware, stick to the route and respect other users.

Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Highways, Traffic and Transportation, Cllr Ralph Cook said:”The pilot scheme has already proven that there is a demand for later access to Bute Park. Figures from the pilot have shown that many people took advantage of the extended opening hours of the park and it’s very encouraging indeed to hear people’s feedback that the extended opening hours will help them to carry on cycling throughout the year

“In Cardiff we are heavily investing into cycling and sustainable travel. We are currently implementing a five year strategic plan to improve cycling infrastructure in the city and this year alone £1.8million has been invested on new and improved routes in the city, assisted by financial support from Welsh Government as part of the Sustainable Travel City project.

“It’s our priority to make sure every aspect of improving cycling in the city is looked into and the extended opening hours at Bute Park will make a huge difference for cyclists in the city.”

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Circle of Life – Cardiff Bay Salmon Release

Posted by Now Cardiff on Jul 5, 2011

On Wednesday 6th July, three Cardiff Primary Schools will return to Cardiff Bay to see the young salmon they have nurtured from eggs safely returned to the River Taff.

Gladstone, Lakeside and Thornhill Primary Schools have participated in the Salmon Coming Home Project; as part of the Cardiff Harbour Authority’s environmental education programme run by the Cardiff Bay Water Activity Centre.

Since February 2011, the school classes have each looked after the precious eggs, monitoring the water temperature and gaining an understanding of nature whilst in the classroom.

Responsible for checking the equipment and daily inspections, each school has been successful in safely monitoring the eggs. Once the eggs hatched in to the Alevins, they were then collected and taken to Cynrig Hatchery, supported by the Environment Agency, for specialist feeding for a few months, to build up their strength prior to being released.

Tomorrow they will be released into the rivers as Salmon Fry and each class will be on site to see them as they swim free for the first time.