Councillor’s China trip slammed
Oct 28 2008
by David James, South Wales Echo
CARDIFF council’s deputy leader has come under fire for taking a trip to China – at taxpayers’ expense.
Plaid councillor Neil McEvoy last night jetted off to Hong Kong and Cardiff’s twin city Xiamen for a week-long visit with two council officers.
A council spokesman said the aim of the trip was to “strengthen business and economic links”.
It is expected to cost the taxpayer a total of £4,200.
Opposition politicians said it was a waste of money.
Labour councillor Ramesh Patel said: “What does he think he can do out there?
“It’s an utter waste of money, especially at a time of economic crisis like this when the council is considering cutting back services or raising council tax.”
Because of a below-inflation settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government, the city council has warned that its budget will be under pressure next year.
On his trip, Cardiff’s Plaid group leader will be visiting the Guan-yiwshan International Business Park in Xiamen, a city of four million people in the southern Fujian province.
When completed, the business park will have about 35 million square feet of space and include hotels, leisure facilities, apartments, university facilities and business units.
Coun McEvoy said the experience would help Cardiff’s own bid to create an international business park off junction 33 of the M4.
The Fairwater councillor’s itinerary also includes visits to Xiamen University’s research centre and Hong Kong’s international science park and cyber park.
The trip coincides with the 25th anniversary of the twinning agreement between Cardiff and Xiamen.
It is understood to have been organised following a meeting with a representative from Hong Kong.
When Cardiff twinned with Xiamen, both cities had around 250,000 residents.
The Welsh capital now has about 300,000, while its Chinese twin has four million.
Coun McEvoy, who is responsible for economic development in Cardiff, said he could not see any justification for criticism of his trip.
He said: “Ours was the first ever twinning arrangement between a Chinese city and a British city and the links have grown ever since.
“Cardiff has a lot to learn from the Xiamen experience as it is a very modern city that has experienced huge growth in the last 25 years and has benefited from huge foreign investment.
“Cardiff is trying to establish an exemplar for an international business park for Cardiff and the city region and the visit will gain a valuable insight into the work that is going on in Xiamen and Hong Kong. This is something we want to deliver not just for Cardiff but for Wales.”
Coun McEvoy’s trip comes just months after Wales’ First Minister Rhodri Morgan travelled to the industrial province of Chongqing to build business links and sign a twinning agreement between Wales and the city province, which is the size of Austria.
Independent councillor Jayne Cowan said: “With the credit crunch and everyone pulling their belts in, it does seem ridiculous that one councillor and two officers are going to China at taxpayers’ expense. We need to see what they are getting out of it.”
Coun McEvoy was expected to arrive in Xiamen today for four nights before leaving for Hong Kong on Saturday.
david.james@mediawales.co.uk
Cardiff International Business Park gains planning consent
Jul 22 2009 by Sion Barry, Western Mail
ONE of the most ambitious office schemes ever seen in Wales has been given the go ahead.
After nearly three years of scrutiny, the International Business Park on the western side of Cardiff, at Junction 33 of the M4, has been given planning consent by Cardiff County Council.
The scheme’s backers, Westgate Park (Cardiff) – a joint venture between Hodge Curzon Properties, Macob and the Welsh Assembly Government – has approval for up to one million square feet of high-quality offices.
The scheme will be marketed at major international companies and will not seek to relocate companies and organisations currently based in business parks in South Wales.
Instead, it is being positioned to compete with international business parks in other parts of the UK, like Green Park in Reading.
A PwC report commissioned by Cardiff County Council in 2007 concluded that an international business park could generate up to 8,000 jobs and would help attract investment in the high-value sector.
It added that a lack of a high- quality park was a major drawback in Wales’ inward investment offer.
If the scheme is not called in for determination by the Welsh Assembly Government, the first phase could see the building of 50,000 sq ft of offices.
The developers have acquired more than 100 acres for the development, with options which could take it up to 300.
Nick Griffith of Westgate Park claimed that the scheme would be an “exemplar” in terms of design and its green credentials.”
In the current property market Mr Griffith said the park would not look to build speculatively, with development being demand led.
He added: “This is a truly international business park, which we have not seen the like of in Wales before.
“The one million sq ft includes an ancillary hotel and retail to serve the park. It will be competing with the likes of Green Park in Reading in targeting international companies.
Mr Griffith said the fact that Cardiff had lower rents for office space – its headline rent is just £20 per sq ft – than rival cities in the UK, coupled with a strong workforce in South Wales, made for a “compelling combination”.
In the coming months, Mr Griffith said that Westgate Park will explore funding options with City institutions.
Joint managing partner with Cardiff chartered surveyors King Sturge, Chris Sutton, welcomed the scheme’s planning consent.
He said: “The move to establish a premier business park, in close proximity to Cardiff, should be welcomed. It gives Wales a chance to target investment projects of the highest quality, targeting areas such as telecoms, bio-technology, finance, media and ICT.
“This can also build upon and support Cardiff’s first-class university assets.
“The aim will be to go head to head with top tier business parks such as Chester, Stockley Park, Brooklands and Daresbury in the UK or Citywest in Dublin.
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