What happened to the 14 things we wanted to see happen in Cardiff five years ago

Five years ago, at the very start of 2019, we wrote a list. Comprising 14 things we wanted to see happen in Cardiff that year, it ranged from certainty on a bus station to Cardiff City's Premier League survival.

Looking back on that list it's shocking to see how few of those things actually happened in 2019. It makes an even more interesting exercise to see which have happened now - more than five years since it was written. So that's exactly what we've done.

We've taken a look at our list to see how many of our 14 requests actually became reality - and rated the progress that's been made on each front. The results were... mixed. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here

Here's what happened to every one of the 14 things we wanted to see happen in Cardiff five years ago:

1. Certainty on a new bus station

This has arrived, but it's taken five years - and at time of writing we're still not quite there yet. In 2019 we had seen plans approved for the bus station more or less as it's materialised since, but at the time the council thought it would open in 2021.

It was delayed to 2022, then a staged opening starting in 2023, then the end of 2023. It was confirmed in January 2024 that it would open fully in spring 2024 rather than opening in stages. We're now in late May and have finally had word that it will "definitely" be open by July 22 this year.

Transport minister Ken Skates says the latest delay was getting the bus station signed off by planning officials but as this has now been done, we may be just days away from finally getting the bus station we thought was around the corner five years ago.

Rating: 3.5/5 - achieved, but only just

2. Better cycle lanes

It's possible to argue for days about the meaning of "better," but it's undeniable that Cardiff's cycle lanes have been thoroughly rejuvenated in the last few years. Along Cathays Terrace, Tudor Street and Allensbank Road to name just a few, dedicated cycleways have been popping up all over the city.

The latest, running the length of Roath rec, is currently being built and there are a number of cycle lanes being planned for the future. They'll eventually form part of a cycleway network with routes from the city centre to and from Roath Park, north east Cardiff, St Mellons Business Park, Cardiff Bay, north west Cardiff and Caerau.

Some have attracted criticism for their location and cost but it would be difficult to say there had been anything but significant progress on this front.

Rating: 4.5/5 - very solid progress, not loved by all

3. Action on homelessness

This can't be viewed in any context other than that of the Covid pandemic, in which funding was made available to give those facing homelessness beds in hotel rooms, student blocks and B&Bs. But unfortunately the situation for many has become bleak again.

The number of homelessness assessment claims completed in Cardiff rose by 8.8% between 2021/22 - from 4,215 to 4,588 - and the number of households found to be at risk of homelessness jumped by 18.3% in that period. For a time, the old Toys R Us building was used to house rough sleepers and the 'inhumane' conditions inside were captured - it's now no longer in use.

We've heard warnings that some people are deliberately making themselves homeless as a last resort to get on the housing waiting list and spoke to a rough sleeper who told us of the dangers and struggles of being homeless before he very sadly died just a couple of weeks later.

Rating: 1/5 - no doubt a lot of hard work from volunteers and key workers, but a very, very long way to go

4. Stopping the Doctor Who Experience becoming an eyesore

This is an easy one. The Doctor Who Experience is no longer an eyesore; it has been demolished. It never found a permanent use after the experience itself closed down, despite a brief use as Maes B for the Eisteddfod.

Showrunner Russell T Davies has addressed some fans' desire for it to reopen - telling the Firecrotch & Normcore: They Like To Watch podcast that despite being "brilliant", it lost a lot of money so it was a case of "once bitten, twice shy". In any case if it re-opens it's unlikely it'll be on the former site which is now home to the Tiger Yard food court and event space.

Rating: 5/5 - definitely happened

5. Saving Guildford Crescent

This is an unfortunate one. When we wrote our 2019 article, the closure of Guildford Crescent's businesses - including Madeira Restaurant, The Thai House and Gwdihw - was just a threat rather than a reality, with plans for a large tower block on the site looming.

Later in 2019 the crescent was demolished and by 2023 it was nothing more than an empty shell, but at very least the facades were still standing. In September 2023, these were knocked down without planning permission prompting a furious response from the council. The head of the family who own the land then refused to comment on the demolition.

Rating: 0/5 - a sad moment for Cardiff in which a piece of history was lost

6. A five star hotel in the centre of Cardiff

It's actually difficult to picture Westgate Street without the Parkgate Hotel but in 2019 it was just an option touted by its owners in the Celtic Manor hotel; now it's a familiar sight next to the Principality Stadium.

It not only shows Cardiff deserves a place on the world stage as we wrote in 2019 - it's become a go-to for celebrities to stay the night and its Sorting Room restaurant has been added to the Michelin Guide, praised for its Welsh produce and "elegant, brasserie-style" decor with "attentive staff and a wide-ranging menu".

Rating: 5/5 - a clear success

7. Figuring out how to fill our empty buildings

The Custom House in Cardiff Bay is being developed and Merchant Place and Cory's Buildings are to form part of a new site for fee-paying Cardiff Sixth Form College. Elsewhere in Butetown, Baltic House is set to be turned into a block of flats with a sizeable extension.

It's becoming quite a regular occurrence to see news of a city centre office building being turned into housing. With, as above, huge demands on homelessness and housing services, the council is set to purchase two commercial properties (whose locations have not yet been published) to be transformed into housing.

In 2019 there were fears House of Fraser would close, and in 2023 those came to pass - with the former home of Howells temporarily left empty. But this too will be subject to a huge redevelopment including a central square surrounded by a hotel, shops and apartments.

Rating: 4/5 - things are looking promising if some big schemes actually come together

8. The development of St David's House

St David's House was demolished soon after our last article will written, but "development" is another thing entirely. Plans have been approved for what could be Wales' tallest building on its site, but as things stand there's still a notable gap. Part of it has been filled by the redevelopment of Wood Street though - with cycle lanes and a new pavement significantly widening the area (the street won an award for this in 2023)

Rating: 2.5 - halfway there, more or less

9. Cardiff City staying in the Premier League

Nope, sorry. At the time of writing, Cardiff City were in their second Premier League season of the decade, having returned to the top flight under Neil Warnock after three in the Championship.

The Bluebirds finished 18th, unfortunately, and haven't made a return to the top flight since. As we said five years ago - Premier League football is a fantastic thing for a city or town, bringing with it tourism and national attention; time will tell whether it's set to return anywhere in Wales.

Rating: An inevitable 0/5, even if some have found optimism under Erol Bulut

10. A better train service

We could argue ourselves around in circles for this point until the cows come home. In 2019 Transport for Wales had only just taken over from Arriva trains and immediately issued a message that things would take time. In the years since, familiar problems have reared their heads; overcrowded trains with too few carriages, cross-country journeys so badly delayed it's almost impressive and delays and shortfalls in various projects.

But that argument can also be flipped on its head. The electrification of the Valley Lines (and upgrades to others across Cardiff), expansion of the TrawsCymru bus service, an increase in frequency along some parts of the new 'South Wales Metro' (although not for every station) - there are some green shoots. Not to mention the new trains on the line which are slowly being introduced and are undoubtedly a massive improvement.

A glance across the border indicates that privatised rail comes with its own shortfalls, but it's right to be critical of our publicly-owned operator too - whatever your political persuasion.

Rating: ?/5 (a cop-out, but as close as we can get to putting a number on the mixed bag that is TfW)

11. And railway station

Not much to report here. Cardiff Central, still an impressive building and a not-too-bad-to-use railway station, could definitely use a facelift for Cardiff to compete with the rest of the UK's major cities.

A funding boost was announced for a regeneration in 2018 but things had gone quiet on this front and are still pretty quiet now. Cardiff Central should still be changing somewhat though - the £100m plans to kickstart the Cardiff Crossrail scheme, half of which comes from the Levelling Up Fund and half from the Welsh Government, will see two dedicated new platforms built for a line which will run across Callaghan Square and down to Cardiff Bay. A new car park is also proposed for the Network Rail land south of Cardiff Central

Rating: 1/5 (points for effort but we're yet to reap any rewards)

12. A statue of a woman

Yes! We definitely have this and it's one of the best additions to Cardiff in recent memory if you ask us. The Betty Campbell statue was just around the corner in 2019, having been announced after the Hidden Heroes campaign.

It now stands proudly on the plaza across Wood Street from Central Square and looks absolutely brilliant. It's a frequent stop for tours of the city, often crowded by schoolkids learning about Wales' first Black headteacher, and all in all is a perfect way to honour one of Wales' most impressive citizens.

Why stop there? Let's see some more statues of trailblazing women next, please.

Rating: 4.5/5 - an emphatic 'job well done' but let's not stop there

13. More major events

This is a funny one. The Champions League Final was a big deal for Cardiff and there were hopes it would bring others of the same scale - this, generally, hasn't come to pass. We've had the WWE's Clash at the Castle which was a real flagship event, bringing £21m to the Welsh economy, but in a major blow it has since moved to Edinburgh.

Since 2019 it would be hard to argue that Cardiff has hosted events on a Champions League final scale. On the other hand, the city's concert game has been strong; since 2019 we've welcomed Harry Styles, Coldplay, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Ed Sheeran, Stereophonics & Tom Jones, the Spice Girls, Take That, P!nk and Rammstein all playing headline gigs.

With the Taylor Swift set to arrive in June it's clear Cardiff attracts the very best when it comes to concerts. Some other major sporting events could really tip us into world-class territory.

Rating: 3/5 - big-name concerts to compete with the best but Pep Guardiola hasn't been spotted around these parts

14. The City Deal

It's difficult to analyse the impact of the City Deal without taking a much deeper dive into it. A £1.2bn investment fund agreed in 2016, the deal is set to last 20 years and includes £734m towards the South Wales Metro. Some of the clearest examples of the deal's funding have also been outside of Cardiff itself - including a £45m fund for housebuilding in struggling communities.

A series of investment funds are available under the deal and it's funded things from semi-conductors to Zip World. One professor wrote for our sister site BusinessLive that the Cardiff Capital Region, funded by the deal, was the "shining light" in Wales' economy. But with the fund set to cover a 20-ear period, the proof of its success (or otherwise) will be on whether we see this lasting impact in our communities.

Rating: 3/5 - easy to point to some progress but hard to understand whether a difference has been made