Cardiff residents will celebrate the opening of their new-look street which has been designed to make their neighbourhood safer and more attractive on Saturday, December 5.
The opening of the newly designed Somerset Street will take place between 11am and 1pm.
Somerset Street in North Grangetown is one of 11 DIY Streets pilot schemes taking place throughout Wales and England. The scheme is supported and funded by Cardiff Council in partnership with Sustrans, the UK’s leading sustainable transport charity and the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation.
The DIY Streets project has encouraged residents on Somerset Street to discuss a range of ‘do it yourself’ designs to
improve the appearance of their street and slow traffic down.
To transform their neighbourhood, residents decided to change the layout of their road to bring an end to speeding traffic whilst still leaving room for emergency vehicles to access the road.
Somerset Street residents also decided to introduce a range of eye-catching features to brighten up the area, including
new trees, the planting of spring bulbs and the creation of a mosaic artwork. Local artist, Maureen O’Kane, designed the mosaic based on ideas from the residents who wanted the artwork to reflect the cultural diversity of their neighbourhood and contain the same of the street.
To mark the opening of their new-look street and unveil the impressive designs, residents will join together to celebrate on Saturday, December 5. The afternoon street party will feature hot food and drink served within a marquee, a crafts area, music and activities for children.
Resident Helen Williams who lives on Somerset Street with her husband Ian and two sons, said: “We are all very excited about unveiling our new-look street on Saturday and celebrating the hard work carried out by all to make this
project possible. We look forward to seeing children playing safely in the street as a result of the new layout which has
been designed to slow traffic down.”
The construction follows 18 months of community meetings.
The residents’ success in slowing down traffic and making their street a safer place to live could see the DIY Streets
project rolled out in cities throughout the UK.
Councillor Judith Woodman, Cardiff Council Executive Member for Communities said: “Residents of Somerset Street can be proud of the hard work gone into transforming their street.
“This has been an innovative project and working in partnership with Sustrans has brought forward new ideas for
involving communities.”
Mo McManus, project officer for Sustrans DIY Streets, said: “The residents on Somerset Street have come together with
great enthusiasm to make a positive difference to their neighbourhood. By deciding on a range of measures to cut down on problems such as speeding traffic, residents have been able to make their mark on how Somerset Street can be improved for the benefit of present and future generations.”
