A sound reaction

WHEN music venue Gwdihw announced in December that it was to close at the end of this month, it acted as the catalyst for a campaign group to form which is attempting to save the popular venue and the neighbouring restaurants on Guildford Crescent in Cardiff city centre.

Last month the grassroots music venue announced it would be closing, along with the Thai House and Madeira restaurants, after the landlord, Rapports, decided not to renew their leases, ahead of a proposed demolition of the site.

It was another huge blow for the city’s music scene, which received another massive setback only last week with the news that another city centre venue, Buffalo Bar, was to close.

Gwdihw has since announced that it plans to become a community-owned business and is inviting pledges from those interested in playing their part in the survival of the venue.

Since the proposed demolition of the historic block at Guildford Crescent was announced by Rapports more than 20,000 people have signed an online petition opposing it, while almost 700 people have so far lodged objections with Cardiff council’s planning department over the proposed demolition.

Cardiff council has been consulting on plans to give the crescent protection from development or demolition by making it a Conservation Area.

But because of the nature of planning law, Cardiff council is obliged to deal with the demolition order filed by Rapports within a set period of time, and without the protection of it being a Conservation Area, is understood to have little grounds to turn it down.

In First Minister’s Questions in the Senedd on Tuesday, First Minister Mark Drakeford revealed that Cadw has been asked to consider whether buildings in Guildford Crescent could be listed and is it “aware of the urgency?”.

The Save Gwdihw and Guildford Crescent campaign group recently unveiled a giant banner on the Madeira restaurant and a letter was sent to the landlord, signed by Gwdihw, the Thai House and Madeira, as well as the campaign leader, Daniel Minty, and Cardiff Central MP Jo Stevens.

The letter urged Rapports to reconsider not only its decision to not renew the leases of the businesses who face eviction at the end of January, but also to reverse plans to demolish Guildford Crescent.

So far the campaign has not received a response from Rapports.

Now campaigners have announced that a march is to take place in Cardiff to protest against the proposed demolition of Guildford Crescent. Organised by the Save Gwdihw and Guildford Crescent campaign group, the march on Saturday, January 19, will end with a free concert that will feature some of the leading names in Welsh music and a headline performance by Super Furry Animals’ Gruff Rhys.

The Save Guildford Crescent march will start in Womanby Street at 2pm and finish in Guildford Crescent, where the concert will then start.