This election, an alliance of Plaid Cymru, Green Party and community campaigners are standing under one name - the Common Ground Alliance. The group say their aim is to, "bring a new kind of politics to Cardiff".
The manifesto reads: "Behind the facade of glass office blocks, student halls, luxury flats and multi-storey car parks, our basic services no longer work and inequality is ever-increasing. Our independent venues and businesses are struggling and disappearing, and the quality of life in our homes and communities is declining - and much of this is because Cardiff Labour can’t get the basics right."
At the close of the last council, Plaid Cymru had no councillors, and neither did the Green Party. In the 2017 election, Plaid Cymru had three councillors elected, all who left. In total, Plaid Cymru received 42,352 votes, more than 2,000 short of the number the Lib Dems - the third biggest party got. The Green Party received 3,822 votes across the city. You can get more election news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The manifesto says that transport in the capital is "disconnected and impractical" and instead pledges "20 minute communities, where everyone can access their local high street and amenities via a safe, clean 20 minute walk or cycle." If the group got into power they would "speed up the council house building programme", and tax second homes at the 300% being permitted by Welsh Government.
They want to see an independent chair elected to lead the planning committee rather than a councillor and change the rules around the time objectors can speak in meetings and beforehand. They boldly say they will "fight criminalisation by building up youth services and shared community spaces such as libraries, youth centres, and spaces to receive support."
In terms of education, they want to review the decision-making process "that sees many children making longer, expensive, and sometimes unsafe journeys across the city" and will "expand and improve access to the Welsh language".
The manifesto says the alliance would support independent music venues and block the Cardiff Bay Arena development, something you can read about here. They also plan to reject plans for a Military Medicine Museum on Britannia Park. They promise to protect Maindy Velodrome and improve links to the Sports Village.
More and bigger bins are pledged with regular collection services, as well as re-opening public toilets across the city. Air pollution monitors would be used for schools and busy spaces and where high levels of pollution are found, streets could be closed to cars.
Frankie-Rose Taylor of the Green Party is standing in Grangetown. "I love Cardiff, and it breaks my heart to see the destruction of green spaces, closure of cultural and community venues and lack of investment in truly affordable housing which is happening under local Labour. I am standing because I want to be a voice speaking up for local people to oppose these decisions and because I believe we need more young, working class women in politics."
Radha Nair-Roberts is a candidate for the alliance in Radyr. Her community park has been closed for the last five years. "What has happened to our community is emblematic of the way in which Cardiff Labour has run the city in the interests of developers and their profits, not the people. I am thrilled to see the manifesto provides a really detailed and comprehensive response to the issues of this city, showing how we can overhaul the planning process so that residents’ needs are at its heart.
"It also sets out how the Local Development Plan, which is fundamental to how Cardiff evolves over the coming years, can be reformed in way that responds to the needs of the people, and have the principles of equality and sustainability at their heart."
