Students: hindrance or help?

Student’s large presence in Cardiff can benefit the Welsh capital

The influx of students into Cardiff can sometimes negatively colour the press’s portrayal of the Welsh city but many local businesses disagree.

Cathays Sainsbury’s was vandalised on 11 October 2011 on Woodville Road, the heart of a student village, shortly after the beginning of university term. Many believe students undermine Cardiff’s metropolitan city image yet students are also stimulators of its economy on which many businesses depend.

Maciej Dakowicz’s recent photographs documented Cardiff’s drinking culture, and student event Carnage, causing Cardiff’s reputation to be scrutinised. News reports suggest students are a hindrance to Cardiff’s productivity as a city. However, businesses benefit from a constant flow of student consumers and many look forward to the beginning of term and its postive affects on company performances.

Business Opinions:

Linda Betty, manager of a superstore Tesco’s near student residences, believes students serve to boost business rather than hinder it. She said with an influx of students, Tesco’s receives an extended customer base throughout the week as they tend to “basket shop” every couple of days unlike their older counterparts.

Lloyd Cross, a worker at the Woodville Pub, said without students the pub’s main clientele drops off dramatically during holidays. While he says there are certain negative aspects to students, such as main streets becoming more dirty due to excess rubbish from houses, and much of the city’s “drama” is due to students, in terms of business “it livens things up” and “overall, it is good to have students.”

Dragon taxi employee Lee Radaq says with the return of students occasionally some do not pay drivers but they get banned and he sees it as an incident that is part of his job. Radaq says work increases, either when returning from the holidays or when they leave and need bigger cars to move out. When Radaq previously worked for Cardiff council in the Cathays area collecting bins “it was a nightmare working around there as there was so much rubbish when students were moving out. That’s the only thing I can think of though and it’s only a couple of days.”

Check out Maciej Dakowicz’s photography work:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/maciejdakowicz/sets/1391696/