Vandalised trees in Cardiff's Bute Park replaced with orchard

Trees vandalised in a city park have been replaced following "extensive" damage in an attack last year.

Members of the local community have planted an orchard in Bute Park, Cardiff.

Around 50 trees were vandalised in 2021, including some planted in memory of people who died during the Covid pandemic.

Cardiff Council said it was working to ensure the park feels safe for visitors.

Jenny and Sian Bradley are sisters who planted a tree for their grandfather, who died at the beginning of the Covid pandemic.

Restrictions meant they were only able to have a small funeral at the time so they planted a tree to celebrate his life.

However, Jenny said they were "really really disappointed" to find the tree had been vandalised in an attack on 9 September 2021.

She said replacing every tree lost with two new ones meant "something really good" was coming out of what happened.

Her sister Siân said the replanting was important, as the vandalism "felt like an attack on the whole of Cardiff".

She added that the park had always felt like a safe space, but as a member of the LGBT community, Siân said "it does make you think twice".

A business in Bute Park, Secret Garden Café, raised £5,000 pounds for the replanting of the orchard.

Melissa Boothman, who owns the café, was one of the first to discover the damage which left her "shocked and upset".

Safety is an "everyday worry" for Ms Boothman, as her staff sometimes work after dark.

Staff at the café would like to see more done, but also believe the community needs to make sure the space is not taken away.

"This is our safe space and we need to keep hold of it," said Ms Boothman.

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, the manager of Bute Park, Julia Sas, said she hoped that the planting of new community orchards would help the community reclaim the park.

Ms Sas said: "Since last week, we've not only successfully planted our first batch of like for like replacements funded through that community Crowdfunder but we've also gone further and we have a new orchard for people to visit and enjoy and there's a much larger orchard also on the way.

"We want to get everybody involved. These orchards are really meant to be a symbol of community resilience and hope in the face of that attack."

Ms Sas said it would take "a number of planting seasons" to replace all of the destroyed trees but she remained positive.

"We're well on our way now and the orchard planting should start this planting season so before the end of March we expect some trees to go in the ground."

Cardiff Council said it had introduced CCTV at park entrances and exits and arranged park ranger and South Wales Police patrols.

Cabinet member for Culture, Parks and Events, Jennifer Burke-Davies, says there is a balance to strike between safety and accessibility.

"Parks by their nature should be accessible for everybody. I don't think it's a case that a few people with an intention should come in and ruin it for everybody else," she said.

"There are projects we've done at other parks in the city to monitor how people feel about keeping them open and we've had a positive response on that, but again it takes ongoing monitoring."

Cardiff Council recently announced funding from its Safer Streets scheme would be used to further promote public safety.

The plans include the introduction of a 24/7 help-point at Bute Park's Summerhouse café where people can speak to council security teams.