Penarth

The other half of the constituency in the Vale of Glamorgan also shares views of the Bay, the Barrage, and the recently created freshwater lake. Penarth has been known as the ‘Garden by the Sea’ since Victorian times. It is politically, as well as socially, more conservative than Cardiff South.

Penarth owes its development to the massive expansion of the local coal industry in the 19th century. Its proximity to Cardiff and its waterfront meant that it was ideally situated to meet the world demand for Welsh coal through the construction of the docks, opened in 1865.

Penarth earned the reputation of "The Garden by the Sea" because of its beautiful parks and open spaces. Penarth boasts a Victorian pier and promenade and is a favourite for tourists during the summer. Furthermore, many of the buildings and features of the town have led to a substantial part being designated as a Conservation Area because of its Victorian/ Edwardian architecture.

Alun has argued for a fresh and confident future for Penarth. He drew together two local authorities to put forward scheme for regenerating the town. In some ways these proposals were before their time, but some of them have now come to fruition. The proposals included a walk way round Penarth Headland. During his time as Secretary of State for Wales the money was set-aside for that project and it should come into play in the near future.

The project will bring Penarth into the whole Cardiff Bay concept for the visitor and offer a new lease of life for the town. Once the road access is available, many people will walk over the Cardiff Bay Barrage to Penarth Headland and they will then be able to walk around the headland to Penarth seafront, perhaps enjoy a meal and a drink or a walk along the cliff top, and then walk up into the town where a range of shops offers a lot to the casual visitor. Penarth offers something distinctly different to what is on offer in Cardiff Bay itself - so everybody will gain!

Llandough is a mainly residential area, adjacent to Penarth and separated from Cardiff by the M4 link road. It is dominated by its hospital.