Stadium - Canton/Riverside meeting tonight

Last updated : 06 August 2003 By Nigelblues

If you're a City fan, live in the area and in support of the stadium, then you really must attend tonight's meeting.

It takes place in Canton Library at 6pm and is hosted by Councillors Patel and Thomas.

They are canvassing the views of residents towards the stadium but are generally against the development. Not so much the stadium but what comes with it failing to realise that you can't really have one without the offer.

I personally know that one of the councillors has never even been to Cardiff City and I believe it's the same for both so how can they possibly be objective?

Cardiff City stands tall over the community and is a flagship for our City, last May at Millenium Stadium showed how much it means to the City and the people.

If you go, please don't protest or disrupt.

We can win the day simply by clearly stating our case and why we're in favour.

Broadly speaking,

I'm proud to have Cardiff City in my area and I'm proud that they want to grow and develop in my community.

I'm proud the project will create new housing, low oost too, and new jobs in my community.

What evidence is there that businesses will suffer? Most people who use Canton travel on foot so would not switch to retail at CCFC.
Most businesses - cafes, pubs, restaurants - actually want Cardiff City to develop and grow, it benefits them.

It can't harm the banks, building societies, corner shops, charity shops and similar. Riverside doesn't have a shopping precinct, just community shops or even ethnic shops so wouldn't be affected.

In the unlikely event that a business should be affected, and I can't see it, Canton is now prosperous enough for someone else to move in or, in the worst scenario, it can be replaced with more low cost housing as Canton is a community where people want to live.

As for car parking, City will only play at home upto 30 times a year and everyone now living in Canton and Riverside has moved into the area since City have been located here (they've only been at Leckwith for nearly 100 years after all!!) so it's a bit rich for anyone to claim a "not in my backyard" stance. They have already accepted what happens on matchdays by moving here.

Besides, the club are increasing the number of parking spaces and improving rail and park/ride facilities with the development too which is responsible. Likewise, roads in the area are being improved too with extra lanes and traffic flow improvements.

I'd love to hear what objections anyone has because, for all the rhetoric, nobody against the development has ever answered these points.

These meetings are notorious for only attracting people aginst the development so it gives the wrong impression.

If you're in favour, get along too and show them that what we do want it and that we want it for the right reasons.