Help Save Bute Square!

Bute Square needs YOU! Help us make sure Bute Square remains a skateable space for everyone as Cardiff Council's new Crossrail project threatens the future of our most beloved spot.

Fill out the survey below to have your say!

As part of their new Cardiff Crossrail project, Cardiff Council are planning to build a new tramway linking Cardiff Central to Cardiff Bay; and while we're all for improving Cardiff's transport network, their current plan involves building a tramline going straight through our beloved Bute Square (AKA Callaghan Square AKA Centre of the Universe). While for many people Bute Square might not be a place where they spend much time (or even know it exists), this often-overlooked plaza is a home-away-from-home for many skaters in and around Cardiff so we're not exactly hyped at the thought of it being destroyed.

For well over 30 years, Bute Square has been the centre of the Cardiff skate scene, having seen countles legends from across the UK laying down hammers on its iconic red bricks as well as providing a much-needed training facility/meeting spot for local skaters. The importance of Bute Square for the local skate scene has only increased over the years with the lack of a central skate park and loss of spots like Wavey Wall (RIP, gone but never forgotten) meaning that it's now one of the only places in town where people are able to skate without the risk of being kicked out.

Obviously, we're not opposing the current plans (not that that would really get us anywhere anyway) but what we would like to see is skateboarders being included in the redesigned space to ensure that local skaters will still have a place to go, and to prevent the erasure of 30+ years of Cardiff skate history. Instead of trying to design skateboarding out of the redeveloped space, we hope that Cardiff Council can incorporate skateboarding into the design so that skaters can coexist with other users of the space as well as minimising any potential damage that can occur as a result of people skating.

In recent years, we've seen many cities around the globe - including Malmo, Paris, Vancouver and Melbourne, as well as London, Sheffield, Nottingham, Dundee and Hull more locally - adopting this approach of incorporating skateboarding into public spaces, which not only gives skaters a safe space to hang out but can also help to breathe new life into areas that are otherwise neglected. On top of that, using skatestoppers to try to prevent skateboarding not only looks ugly but generally doesn't really work so trying to work with skaters, rather than against them, is the smarter and more sustainable option.

Cardiff Council have already started working alongside Canadian landscape architecture firm, Van Der Zalm + Associates, who specialise in incorporating skateboarding into public spaces. As part of the 20 year Skateboard Amenities Strategy designed with the help of VDZ+A, the Council have committed to building several new skateparks across Cardiff, as well as potentially incorporating skateboarding into urban design, so it feels like a step in the wrong direction to be losing our most beloved spot - especially considering skateboarders are currently the only people who use the space.

Luckily, the Council have given everyone the chance to have their say on the project with their new public survey, which presents us with the perfect opportunity to convince them that Callaghan Square should remain a skate-friendly place. To have your voice heard, make sure you fill out the survey before 27th October to have your say on how you think the space should be used before the plans go ahead. The more people who fill out the survey and ask for skateable obstacles the better so tell your friends, family, schoolmates, work colleagues and anyone else you to can think of to help us ensure that Bute Square remains an accessible skate space for everyone.

Alongside the survey, the Council will also be hosting various drop-in sessions, giving you the opportunity to give them a piece of your mind in person. You can check out the full list of dates below but the main one to focus on is on October 14th in Future Inn, Cardiff Bay when the person in charge of the railway project will be attending so make sure you bring all your homies and show up in force to let them know just how much this spot means to us! 

That's enough chit-chat though. Head to the shop to browse the latest skateboard decks, clothing, shoes and more, and buy now from CSC. Or, find out more news about the Cardiff skatepark plans on the CSC Blog. Safe.