Firm hits back at Cardiff Bay critic (From Penarth Times)

Firm hits back at Cardiff Bay critic

A PENARTH business has hit back at comments by the Cardiff council leader about the Bay development where they sail from.

Russell Goodway recently said that the Mermaid Quay shopping and restaurant site "does not really work". He added: "What we have is a piecemeal, higgledy-piggledy development."

But Carol Townsend, who runs Cardiff Bay Tours from Lavernock Road, disagrees.

She said: "We at the tours work long and hard to promote the waterfront to visitors.

People have come from all over the world to see this development and we should be proud of the Welsh capital.

"We even had a party of people from Chicago and many come from all over Britain to enjoy what the Bay can offer."

The Cardiff Bay Tours take 15,000 visitors around the Bay each year.

She added: "Many tours are taken by schools in the area as the development is a subject on the National Curriculum - which shows how important the Bay is to the United Kingdom."

"Boats go from Cardiff Bay to the barrage in Penarth Marina and there a tour is taken to the Billybanks.

From there the full view across to the capital can be seen."

Having run boat tours for many years, Carol said: "We get tourists coming to go on the boats and they are attracted by the trips over to Penarth."

She added: "The history of the docks and its connection with the coal industry makes the talk interesting.

Many schools are coming from all over Wales with the help of Objective One money from the European Union.

"This is given to underprivileged areas to help regenerate the area. The schools come down here to see how regeneration works."

Carol concluded: "Our capital should be built up in people's minds, not brought down.

Tourist groups often seem to be jealous of our city because they don't have such a beautiful waterfront like Cardiff's."