The Design Commission for Wales, which advises the Welsh Assembly Government on urban design, says the lack of open space and facilities provided in high-density housing developments is a “major concern”. Asked about shortage of greenery in areas like Cardiff Bay, he said, “The land provided for blocks of flats doesn’t lend itself to providing green spaces. Developers and planners ignoring Victorian lessons about green space in cities, could leave the heart of Cardiff without children, says an architecture expert. Examples of green areas provided in urban centres by previous generations include Newport’s Stow Park, Cardiff’s Bute, Roath and Victoria parks, and Wrexham’s Llwyn Isaf Green and Bellevue Park. Nearly one in five mortgage lenders have failed to pass on December’s interest rate cut a month after the Bank of England reduced the cost of borrowing. The building society’s chief operating officer Graeme Yorston said, “Following the Bank of England rate reduction, the difficult balance we have is the balance between savers and borrowers. read more