General Developments

I may be wrong but I thought that it was HMRC who would be occupying the new block in Croydon as one of their regional centres -

http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/hmrc ... story.html

I may be wrong but I thought that it was HMRC who would be occupying the new block in Croydon as one of their regional centres -

http://www.croydonadvertiser.co.uk/hmrc ... story.html

I think you might be right, I'm not sure why but I read it as moj, must have still been sleeping

There is an application for conversion of Leo Abse offices on Churchill Way to residential with modern extensions at the back.

The offices are a collection of six Victorian villas. There is one horrible modern side extension to one of the villas which, it is proposed, will be demolished.

It doesn't look as though these flats are aimed at students and I guess this is a good use of buildings that are unlikely to be attractive as office use.

Thinking from a city-planning perspective, I think my favoured option would be John St for HMRC HQ. I like the design, and the potential to finally bring some life to Callaghan Square (including through the change of use of the railway arches).

If there is an additional requirement, I'm a little torn:
- Part of me says, lets make a start on Callaghan Square southside. 187,000 would be 2 decent sized 6-7 storey buildings. It would be close to HMRC, helping make it more of a joint hub.
- Part of me says, lets get it in the Interchange, so that we get Central Square complete. In the long-term I'm confident the private sector could fill this scheme. But given Brexit, I think things will slow down on that front, and public sector commitment could be the difference between getting it finished soonish, and waiting for the next cyclical peak (maybe 8, 9 years down the line).
- And part of me says, Rapport. Its a bit incongruous in its current state, and it could anchor a slightly bigger scheme (to fill up the entire site, it would need to be fairly low/mid rise).

I'd rule our Brains. I think we have enough "fallow" sites to get on with. Its also incongruous for a "city centre" site. But it also offers something different about Cardiff. Its a very present reminder of the industrial heritage of the city (a bit like the steelworks on the Central link) - which in many areas isn't really apparent.

i like it to be on the rapport site, as that is the biggest eyesore or at John street.

i think brains site is too expensive and complicated for the HMRC site, and i'm happy for callaghan square south side to be left alone for now. as the two sites above are more strategic and in more need to be developed.

500,000 could fit lovely at the rapport site, could be a very nice tall build here to compensate for the towers on bridge street and hope street.

Do Brains own the brewery? If they do then surely any plans to redevelop would depend on whether Brains 1. Want to move and 2. Want to sell and 3. Have another site in the pipeline.

I can't think of an obvious site for Brains other than heading out towards Grangetown Ferry Rd/Penarth Rd.

Parking facilities at Central obviously need to be factored in and also consideration of future expansion at Central.

I can't think of an obvious site for Brains other than heading out towards Grangetown Ferry Rd/Penarth Rd.

Parking facilities at Central obviously need to be factored in and also consideration of future expansion at Central.

it is not often you hear brains and strangetown in the same sentence

I can't think of an obvious site for Brains other than heading out towards Grangetown Ferry Rd/Penarth Rd.

Parking facilities at Central obviously need to be factored in and also consideration of future expansion at Central.

it is not often you hear brains and strangetown in the same sentence

Bl***y Cheek! this forum is brought to you, with all it's bang up to date facts, figures and comments, from... you've guessed it Strangetown!! In all fairness watch this space - Grangetown (which is a pretty big area - certainly population wise) is doing ok! and when Central Square and various other city centre developments come to fruition then it will only continue to improve - there's plenty of pretty impressive housing that will start to be brought up due to it's proximity to the city centre. Already the Tramshed is having a very positive influence, hard to believe at the moment but I think Tudor Street will also dramatically improve when central sq. is totally up and running (or is that officially riverside?). Anyway back to Grangetown.. OK I'm biased as this is where I reside, but times they are a changing for the multi-cultural yet harmonious STRANGETOWN!!

Keep Grangetown Strange!

Riverside and Grangetown are ripe for gentrification and I'm sure we'll start to see this happen in the next 10 years, when Central Square, Callaghan Square and the International Sports Village kick on