St Luke’s Food Pod Engagement No 2

📅 Date: 28 August 2024

📍 Location of Engagement: St Luke’s Avenue, Penarth

🗣️ Who we spoke to: Individuals using the food pod

Facilitators: Vale of Glamorgan Council Placemaking Officers and Food Share volunteer

🙋 Type of engagement:
Informal one-to-one conversations using questionnaires to gather views on what people value about Penarth, what could be improved, and future priorities.

🚀 Emerging Themes

• Community Spirit: Strong sense of support among residents; appreciation for local food pod.
• Natural Environment: Beaches, parks, and open spaces highly valued.
• Walkability: Town praised for being easy to navigate on foot.
• Infrastructure Needs: More public bins and dog waste bins; improved parking facilities; bus shelter near main road for better transport access.
• Safety Concerns: Questions about CCTV
• Public Transport: Long waits for buses; reliance on multiple buses for basic trips (e.g., to Asda).

💬 Comments

“Community spirit – we help each other.”

“Penarth needs building up again – I feel it’s lost its appeal and gone downhill.”

“Bus shelter needed by main road bus stop – we get soaked waiting.”

📢 Summary
Participants expressed appreciation for Penarth’s community feel, natural beauty, and walkability. However, they raised concerns about cleanliness, safety in residential areas, and transport accessibility. Suggestions included adding more bins, improving parking, installing a bus shelter. While residents value their town, they feel Penarth has “lost its appeal” and want improvements to infrastructure and services to restore its vibrancy.