Guildford Crescent is in a wretched state

Guildford Crescent facade. Pic: Tamsin Stirling

Letter to the South Wales Echo, 19 July 2023

LIKE many who opposed the demolition of its distinctive buildings, I was sad to read Ted Peskett’s excellent article (“Lack of progress on crescent that residents fought to save”, Echo, July 15) on the current wretched state of Guildford Crescent. Since the demolition of most of the buildings there more than three years ago, the whole project seems derelict and abandoned.

A spokesman for the developers, Galliford Try, is quoted as giving the principal reason for this delay as “the impact on financial markets of global and national events”.

It must be a great relief to Galliford Try shareholders to know that, according to the company’s website, these global and national events will not prevent the planned payment to them of a very generous “special dividend” of 12p per share in October 2023, in addition to a rise in basic dividend per share of 36%, apparently, for the last half year for which figures are available.

I do hope that someone at Cardiff council is asking Galliford Try why global and national events should impact so harshly on their responsibility for the environment of central Cardiff and so generously on the incomes of their shareholders.

Sian Best

Cardiff Civic Society