Entrance to Heath Park, Cardiff - geograph

Heath ( cy, Y Mynydd Bychan) is a district,

community A community is a social unit (a group of living things) with commonality such as place, norms, religion, values, customs, or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a country, village, ...

and coterminous electoral ward in the north of

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

, capital of

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...

. It is a predominantly affluent area with property prices being the third highest in the city. The area is known for its traditional 1930s detached and semi-detached properties with large south facing gardens. Roads are tree lined and large greeneries with the notable attraction of Heath Park and the joining of the University Hospital of Wales. The population of the ward and community taken at the 2011 census was 12,629.

Description

Heath was originally called the Great Heath and named as a result of the large park and woodland that it once contained. After the initial development of traditionally middle-classed semi-detached housing (1920s-1950s) and more recently the construction of the

University Hospital of Wales University Hospital of Wales ( cy, Ysbyty Athrofaol Cymru) (UHW), also known as the Heath Hospital, is a major 1,000-bed hospital in the Heath district of Cardiff, Wales. UHW is a teaching hospital of Cardiff University School of Medicine. Constr ...

on the site of the former Heath Wood (1960s), much of the greenery has been eradicated. It should be distinguished from the Little Heath ( cy, Y Waun Ddyfal) which lies to the south of the Great Heath, in the vicinity of Crwys Road. The 37 hectare Heath Park forms the remainder of this area of grass and woodland. It includes attractions and facilities such as the George V Playing Fields, tennis courts, a miniature steam railway and refreshment facilities. Birchgrove is a busy shopping area that is part of the ward of Heath. It is composed mostly of more affordably priced housing, mainly terraced, and has taken on an identity of its own. The area around the University Hospital of Wales has been known as Saints Corner, due to the number of streets in the area named after well known saints.

The Welsh language

The number of Heath residents over three years old who speak Welsh increased from 1,378 in the

2001 UK Census A nationwide census, known as Census 2001, was conducted in the United Kingdom on Sunday, 29 April 2001. This was the 20th UK census and recorded a resident population of 58,789,194. The 2001 UK census was organised by the Office for National ...

to 1,422 in the 2011 UK Census. In percentage terms there was a slight decrease (from 12.1% to 11.7%). This was caused by a reduction in the number of speakers over the age of 65; the age groups 3–15 and 16—64 both showed increases.

Transport

Rail

The area is served by two railway stations. Heath Low Level is on the

Coryton Line The Coryton Line is a commuter railway line in Cardiff from the city centre to Heath, Birchgrove, Rhiwbina, Whitchurch and Coryton. It was originally opened as part of the main line of the Cardiff Railway. The line is operated by Trans ...

, linking

Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

and Coryton stations. Heath High Level is on the Rhymney Line, linking Central and Rhymney stations via

Llanishen Llanishen (Welsh language, Welsh Llanisien ''llan'' church + ''Isien'' Saint Isan) is a district and Community (Wales), community in the north of Cardiff, Wales. Its population as of the United Kingdom Census 2011, 2011 census was 17,417. Lla ...

, Lisvane Thornhill and Caerphilly.

Bus

Cardiff Bus Cardiff Bus ( cy, Bws Caerdydd) is the dominant operator of bus services in Cardiff, Wales and the surrounding area, including Barry and Penarth. The company is wholly owned by Cardiff Council and is one of the few municipal bus companies to ...

's routes 38 and 39 terminate at the University Hospital of Wales, originating from the City Centre. The 8 now operates between the City Centre and Grangetown, while the 9/9A operates from the City Centre to IKEA and Cardiff Bay, including the Sports Village. The 86 service runs to Lisvane via Heath. The following services run through west of Heath: *1/2 (City Circle) *21 (Central Stn) *23 (Whitchurch/Rhiwbina) *24 (Whitchurch/Llandaff/Canton) *25 (Central Stn) *27 Capital City Green (Thornhill/Birchgrove) *35 (Gabalfa or Cardiff Bay)

Walking and Cycling

Cardiff Council Cardiff Council, formally the County Council of the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Cyngor Sir Dinas a Sir Caerdydd) is the governing body for Cardiff, one of the Principal Areas of Wales. The principal area and its council were established ...

have recently implemented a number of traffic calming measures on Allensbank Road / Heath Park Avenue with the aim of slowing traffic on the major thoroughfare and improving safety for pedestrians. The council also has plans for Cycleway 1 to run through the area, continuing on from Gabalfa to the neighbouring ward of Cyncoed.

Governance

Westminster: As part of Cardiff North, Heath has been represented at Westminster since 2017 by Anna McMorrin MP (Welsh Labour)

Senedd Cymru – Welsh Parliament The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Gove ...

: As part of Cardiff North, Heath has been represented in the Senedd since 2011 by Julie Morgan, MS (Labour) Cew heath

Heath is both an electoral ward, and a

of the

City of Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the List of ci ...

. There is no

community council A community council is a public representative body in Great Britain. In England they may be statutory parish councils by another name, under the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Act 2007, or they may be non-statutory bodies. In ...

for the area. The electoral ward of Heath falls within the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff North. It is bounded by

Rhiwbina Rhiwbina ( cy, Rhiwbeina, also ''Rhiwbina'') is a suburb and community in the north of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. Formerly a small hamlet within the parish of Whitchurch, Rhiwbina was developed throughout the twentieth century, and is now a ...

and

to the north;

Cyncoed Cyncoed ( ); is an affluent and exclusive community in the northeast of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. With many properties in the area fetching over £1 million, Cyncoed is considered to have some of the highest property prices in the country. Cy ...

to the east;

Gabalfa Gabalfa (, ) is a district and community in the north of the city of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is characterised by a four-lane fly over road at the Gabalfa Interchange, where the A48 road meets the A470 road (North Road) which leads from C ...

and

Cathays Cathays ( ; Welsh: officially ''Cathays'' but also , 'the constant meadow') is a district and community in the centre of Cardiff, capital of Wales. It is an old suburb of Cardiff established in 1875. It is very densely populated and contain ...

to the south;

Llandaff North Llandaff North ( cy, Ystum Taf), is a district, community and coterminous electoral ward in the north of Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Description It is located in the north of Cardiff and can be considered a two-part ward, each containin ...

to the southwest; and

Whitchurch & Tongwynlais Whitchurch & Tongwynlais ( cy, Yr Eglwys Newydd a Thongwynlais) is an electoral ward of Cardiff, Wales. It covers some or all of the following areas: Coryton, Tongwynlais and Whitchurch in the parliamentary constituency of Cardiff North. I ...

to the west.

: Since May 2017 Heath is represented on

by three councillors, Lyn Hudson (

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

), Graham Hinchey (

Welsh Labour Welsh Labour ( cy, Llafur Cymru) is the branch of the United Kingdom Labour Party in Wales and the largest party in modern Welsh politics. Welsh Labour and its forebears won a plurality of the Welsh vote at every UK general election since 192 ...

) and Fenella Bowden (Heath & Birchgrove Independents). Cllr Bowden had been a member of the Liberal Democrats but left, to sit as an Independent councillor, in November 2010. In the past it has been represented by a variety of political groups, moving from Labour in the 1990s, to all

Liberal Democrat Several political parties from around the world have been called the Liberal Democratic Party or Liberal Democrats. These parties usually follow a liberal democratic ideology. Active parties Former parties See also *Liberal democracy *Lib ...

in May 2004 and, after the May 2008 election, a Conservative majority.

References

{{Politics and Government in Cardiff Communities in Cardiff