Cardiff residents celebrate new-look neighbourhood in style

Residents in Cardiff are gearing up to celebrate the opening of their newly designed street this weekend to unveil a safer and more attractive neighbourhood. Somerset Street in North Grangetown is one of 11 DIY Streets pilot schemes taking place throughout Wales and England.

Led by Sustrans the pioneering street improvement scheme has been supported and funded by Cardiff City Council and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation to make Somerset Street safer and more people-friendly.

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.

To mark the opening of their new-look street and unveil the impressive designs, residents will join together to celebrate tomorrow. The 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"

And Mo McManus, project officer for Sustrans DIY Streets, added: "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."