Petition seeks review of Rhiwbina Garden Village Y Groes bollards

The recent regeneration works in Rhiwbina village have been welcomed by many; the disruption to Heol y Deri and to the shops less so. Fortunately the work is almost complete, having taken somewhat longer than the proposed six weeks.

However, one issue appears to have become a bone of contention. Residents of Y Groes have launched a petition seeking a review by Cardiff Council of the fixed bollards installed around the green.

The petition asks the council to pause any further installation and remove or reduce the number of bollards. It also asks the council to review the current scheme, working with residents to find a "more proportionate and sympathetic solution".

Y Groes is a well known and much loved feature of the Garden Village, even starring as a Christmas location in Doctor Who.

Cardiff Council stated: “The installation of bollards at Y Groes forms part of the wider regeneration scheme around the Rhiwbina shops. "Bollards were already in place around over half of the green space. Additional bollards, along with the replacement and upgrading of existing ones, have now been installed to prevent vehicles driving on and damaging the grassed area.

“The bollards have been spaced at 1.5 metres, rather than 1.2 metres, to reduce their visual impact as much as possible. One remaining bollard will be installed as a hinged bollard to allow ongoing maintenance access". 

“Consultation on the wider regeneration scheme took place in September 2025. Properties on roads surrounding Rhiwbina high street, including Y Groes, received leaflets outlining the proposed plans and inviting residents to comment. This provided the community with the opportunity to give feedback on the scheme, including the proposed installation of the bollards.”

Residents, however, appear confused as to why the bollards were included in the regeneration proposals. One resident, who asked not to be named, said this element of the plans was not clearly explained in the council's promotional materials, with the detail "effectively hidden behind a QR code".

She added it was "not clearly set out that a dense and continuous arrangement of bollards would be installed around the green", which meant the community was "unable to comment meaningfully on the scale and impact proposed".

The resident continued: "Rhiwbina Garden Village was designed with openness, simplicity and shared green space at its heart" and questioned if the recent changes were considered proportionate and suitable in "a space admired for its heritage and conservation".

She said residents also questioned why, when the overall regeneration proposals for the village high street were scaled back, the unrequested bollards were approved.

And she added that concerns were expressed before the work began, with the council advised then that residents did not support the plan. It was also noted that as a conservation area with listed buildings, any changes should have been carefully considered in consultation with the council's planning department and the Welsh Government’s historic environment service, Cadw.

Rhiwbina councillor Jayne Cowan told us: "I feel the number of bollards being installed is too many, and I have advised the council of my view. There just needs to be a reasonable number of ornate bollards to stop people parking or crossing onto the grassed area which has been a problem for a number of years."