Businesses located away from the main Windsor Road retail area engagement

📅 Date: 8 May 2024

📍 Location: Businesses located away from the main Windsor Road retail Area Penarth

🗣️ Who we spoke to: Local Businesses

Facilitators: Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers

🙋 Type of engagement: Informal one-to-one conversations and questionnaires during business visits

This engagement aimed to understand the challenges and opportunities for businesses located off Penarth High Street. Officers visited shops and services along Cornerswell Road and Station Approach, spoke to owners and staff, and collected feedback on what works well and what needs improvement. Concept designs and placemaking information were shared to explain the wider vision for the area.

🚀 Emerging Themes

• What businesses value:

  • Clean, tidy environment and well-maintained streets.
  • Strong community spirit and loyal, regular customers.
  • Proximity to schools, train station, and car park brings steady trade.
  • Mix of ages and visitors from Cardiff adds diversity.
  • Many businesses are well-established (10+ years) and feel part of a close-knit community.

• Challenges and barriers:

  • Parking restrictions: 1-hour limit seen as too short by most businesses; calls for 2-hour parking and clearer signage.
  • Visibility and footfall: Cornerswell Road feels overlooked compared to Windsor Road; businesses want better signage and advertising from the Town Council.
  • Costs and overheads: Rising energy and food costs, recycling charges (£200 for bags), and high rents.
  • Space limitations: Lack of storage and showroom space for some businesses.
  • Security concerns: Reports of break-ins; need for improved measures.
  • Other issues: Card-only payments challenging for older customers; staffing difficulties; cemetery capacity concerns for funeral-related businesses.

• Ideas for improvement:

  • Increase parking time to 2 hours and improve signage.
  • Consider speed bumps (sleeping policemen) near Victoria School for safety.
  • More advertising and recognition for Cornerswell Road as part of the town centre.
  • Support for shopfront improvements and security upgrades.
  • Explore free or pay-and-display parking options.

• Future aspirations (next 5–10 years):

  • More footfall and inclusion in town-wide advertising.
  • Expansion into wellbeing services, catering, and diversified offerings.
  • Maintain strong community feel while adapting to changing customer needs.
  • Some businesses aim to sustain current operations, others want to grow external partnerships (e.g., supplying to hotels/restaurants).

💬 Comments

“Parking is the biggest barrier – one hour isn’t enough for customers.”

“Cornerswell Road needs better visibility and signage to attract footfall.”

“We love the community feel, but costs and lack of space make it hard to grow.”

“Security is a concern – several shops have been broken into.”

📢 Summary
Businesses appreciate the friendly community, clean environment, and steady trade from schools and commuters, but face challenges with parking limits, visibility, and rising costs. There is strong support for better signage, extended parking, and Town Council-led promotion to boost footfall. Safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades are also priorities.