Skip to content

Ely: What do we know about the Cardiff suburb?

BBC Ely in CardiffBBC
Ely in Cardiff was built in the 1920s and 1930s on the outskirts of the city

Ely in Cardiff is reeling after a riot broke out on Monday following a crash in which two teenage boys died.

Police have confirmed for the first time that officers were following the boys on an electric bike, just minutes before their deaths sparked a riot.

The estate in Cardiff has had its fair share of bad headlines over the years.

But it also has a proud reputation as a close-knit working class community, on the western edge of the city.

Map detailing the timeline of events

Where is Ely?

The estate, characterised by mostly 1920 and 30s semi-detached houses, has a population of about 15,000 people.

It sits on the outskirts of Cardiff and is next door to the Caerau estate.

The area, which sprang up between the two world wars as the city expanded, has been characterised as having socio-economic challenges but the most recent statistics point to an "arc of poverty" which runs across the south and west of the city.

What do we know about Ely?

Ely has more children eligible for free school meals - 59.1% - than any other community in Wales, while nearly three-quarters of households have at least one deprivation measure, as measured in the 2021 Census.

  • It has the seventh highest proportion of long term sick or disabled of communities in Wales
  • The Census also showed about 10% unemployment in the area among those of working age and economically active, about twice the city average
  • Of those unemployed, about 39% have never worked and more than half not in the past 12 months
  • Just under a third have no qualifications while 21% have qualifications above A-level
  • About 28% of children were recently estimated to be living in families on relatively low incomes - while this is in the top 10% of wards in Wales, it is not among the very highest, even in Cardiff

Broken down into the smallest neighbourhoods, the two covering Snowden Road are in the top 10% in Wales for levels of deprivation in Welsh government indicators covering income, health, education and employment.

Home ownership is about 34% - the 12th lowest in Wales - although it is lower in five areas of Cardiff.

Ely in Cardiff

Is there are a lot of crime in Ely?

Crime figures can be a little patchy at best, but across Ely in the past year, we have seen about 150 crimes reported a month, with only three crimes recorded in the Snowden Road area last month and only one the month before that.

Ely has had a reputation in the city, perhaps undeserved, and some of that goes back to rioting in the autumn of 1991. That too coincided with warm weather, at a time of economic difficulties - and stemmed from a local row involving a shopkeeper, who was forced to flee 100 miles.

I remember covering the aftermath for the local newspaper. It was in the next street to where last night's violence took place.

There was a shock then among the vast majority of the law-abiding community that it even happened. It concentrated efforts in the next few years to look for improved community facilities and police relations.

Projects such as the Dusty Forge - converted from an abandoned and once notorious local pub - look to provide a community hub and skills and support to help mitigate against deep-seated economic problems.

Banner saying 'Get in touch'

Are you in the area? Did you witness the disorder? You can share your experiences by emailing [email protected].

Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also get in touch in the following ways:

If you are reading this page and can't see the form you will need to visit the mobile version of the BBC website to submit your question or comment or you can email us at [email protected]. Please include your name, age and location with any submission.