Planners likely to approve a 23-storey apartment building in

lanners are likely to approve a 23-storey apartment building in Cardiff city centre.

The L-shaped block would include 180 apartments as well as office space and food and drink premises.

The site, which has been empty for 20 years, is a former car park off Herbert Street in Butetown at the junction of Lloyd George Avenue and Tyndall Street.

It would see 40 one-bed, 114 two-bed and eight three-bed apartments built as well as 18 studio apartments.

The accommodation would be spread across a seven, eight and 23 storey building.

It would include 42 underground parking spaces and another 78 in an adjacent car park.

Vehicles would enter along Herbert Street.

'Central location'
There would also be a small landscaped square at the site.

The report to planners says that any retail or office use would only be on the ground floor of the seven storey block and make up 60% of the eight-storey block.

The height of the tallest building is staggered, according to a report to councillors, to break up the impact on the skyline, but the report says it is similar to other buildings on Bute Street.

The report reads: “The site is in a central location, within an area of employment, leisure, shopping as well as close to both rail and bus public transport services.

“The site is therefore considered to be very sustainably located and entirely appropriate for the proposed development.”

The application will be heard at planning committee on Wednesday.

It is recommended for approval subject to recommendations.

The developers would have to pay £775,000 in section 106 money to mitigate the impact of the development including £510,000 to provide affordable housing offsite, £25,000 towards local youth facilities and £150,000 for highway improvements.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/local ... y-10229502

Looks pretty good. I like the fact that it's opposite Altolusso on the other side of the GWML and roughly the same height. It should give a nice sence of arrival for rail passengers.

Looks pretty good. I like the fact that it's opposite Altolusso on the other side of the GWML and roughly the same height. It should give a nice sence of arrival for rail passengers.

if this does get built and the other student resi opposite the rad blu/golden cross then you'll have quite a canyon effect as you come in to Cardiff from the east.

It certainly is going to become far more crowded in that area as you arrive at the station, which in my opinion, creates a sense of vibrancy and modernity to the city that at the moment is somewhat lacking.

saying that we've been here many times before with considerably plans for towers and developments and the majority of which never get off the architects drawing board. if we saw as much activity on the ground as we do from the architects we'd have a skyline to rival Shanghai.

Yes indeed if this proceeds and the 'hope tower' also the hotel planned for capital quarter, JR Smart puts something tallish with the land they recently purchased and generally central square will be pretty bulky. Wow arriving at Cardiff Central will be like arriving in a.. well... Capital City!!

Whilst these new buildings will certainly make Cardiff feel like a more substantial city, I'm not sure it'll ever feel like a "Capital City" in the way somewhere like Edinburgh or Dublin does. Its not the the big new builds that do that. Its the grander older buildings, and the more expansive central areas that make those cities feel like proper capitals. Cardiff just doesn't have that feel - its now new, too compact. Now these can also be blessings too (especially the compactness). But the city will still feel like a (denser, more economically vibrant) regional city, albeit one with a clear regional/national identity.

Whilst these new buildings will certainly make Cardiff feel like a more substantial city, I'm not sure it'll ever feel like a "Capital City" in the way somewhere like Edinburgh or Dublin does. Its not the the big new builds that do that. Its the grander older buildings, and the more expansive central areas that make those cities feel like proper capitals. Cardiff just doesn't have that feel - its now new, too compact. Now these can also be blessings too (especially the compactness). But the city will still feel like a (denser, more economically vibrant) regional city, albeit one with a clear regional/national identity.

I'm not sure that it's possible to define what makes somewhere feel like a capital city. Canberra and Brazilia have no buildings over a century old while Manchester has the 'grander older buildings, and the more expansive central areas' you talk about.

Does Cardiff feel like Edinburgh or Dublin? No. Are Edinburgh and Dublin typical capital cities? Not really.

I would agree Ash. I think Dublin is a horrible city, way too plastic. Of course Cardiff will never compete with Paris or Rome & I would hazard a guess that we would not want it to. The city is liveable & vibrant enough without the sprawling & windswept squares of some cities in the UK.

not many cities have Cardiff's civic centre. the beauty of each city is the fact that each is different as they have grown at different stages. Manchester is a great city with some wonderful victorian architecture that Cardiff will never match, but then Cardiff has some neo classical/neo gothic/baroque Edwardian architecture that others cities struggle to match.

Cardiff also has its own version of squares - the Hayes by the library may not be what you would call a traditional European square, but it is bordered by an eclectic mix of buildings of all ages and designs which provide a wonderful backdrop.

Cardiff is never going to match other cities in certain areas, nor should it try to. Cardiff should focus on doing what it does well - being a compact city with lots to offer pretty much everybody.

not many cities have Cardiff's civic centre. the beauty of each city is the fact that each is different as they have grown at different stages. Manchester is a great city with some wonderful victorian architecture that Cardiff will never match, but then Cardiff has some neo classical/neo gothic/baroque Edwardian architecture that others cities struggle to match.

Cardiff also has its own version of squares - the Hayes by the library may not be what you would call a traditional European square, but it is bordered by an eclectic mix of buildings of all ages and designs which provide a wonderful backdrop.

Cardiff is never going to match other cities in certain areas, nor should it try to. Cardiff should focus on doing what it does well - being a compact city with lots to offer pretty much everybody.

Top post.

Washington, D.C. is a pretty small city and is the capital of USA. I don't think a capital city needs any specific criteria. Uniqueness is what's important, and Cardiff definitely has that. I also think it's a lot more expansive than people realise. When you factor in Cardiff Bay and the soon to be built ISV, there's a bigger sprawl than you'd think. Some time in the future the gap between these three districts will be filled and all of a sudden Cardiff will feel massive.