Central Square

On another note, that tower at the Brains Site looks absolutely massive. considering that the Stadium House is 80m, that looks at least 135m

But surely that model was drawn up before the Callaghan Square HMRC plans were scrapped because there is clearly not enough space for HMRC to locate all its operations there.

Also where is that model from? Can someone give me or link a source?

Do you know what, I don't really give a shit where HMRC are going to plonk themselves down in Cardiff. The whole point of this new Enterprise Zone is to get new businesses (particularly private businesses) to set up a cluster within the city centre. I don't want this to be like a new shopping centre, where all the existing shops just move to the new shinny place and the old sites get left empty. So far, there's been a bit too much of that already with Central Square.

I want to know what other companies/firms/etc. are planning to set up shop in Cardiff and what buildings we need to erect to cater for them. Admiral have done a lot in fairness to sign Wales' praises, hopefully we'll have similar companies looking to make Cardiff their home. HMRC should be a secondary concern.

Do you know what, I don't really give a shit where HMRC are going to plonk themselves down in Cardiff. The whole point of this new Enterprise Zone is to get new businesses (particularly private businesses) to set up a cluster within the city centre. I don't want this to be like a new shopping centre, where all the existing shops just move to the new shinny place and the old sites get left empty. So far, there's been a bit too much of that already with Central Square.

I want to know what other companies/firms/etc. are planning to set up shop in Cardiff and what buildings we need to erect to cater for them. Admiral have done a lot in fairness to sign Wales' praises, hopefully we'll have similar companies looking to make Cardiff their home. HMRC should be a secondary concern.

This. I really dont think the development at that Brains site will go forward all that much. Certainly not to the current scale anyway. If Central Square cant attract new, private firms then I dont think an even bigger development will.

Where are Watkin Jones HQ'd? Isnt it in Chester? I'd love for a genuinely up-and-coming Welsh business actually focus their HQ on Cardiff.

This. I really dont think the development at that Brains site will go forward all that much. Certainly not to the current scale anyway. If Central Square cant attract new, private firms then I dont think an even bigger development will.

Where are Watkin Jones HQ'd? Isnt it in Chester? I'd love for a genuinely up-and-coming Welsh business actually focus their HQ on Cardiff.

Watkin Jones are a North Wales company, their HQ is already in Wales (Bangor, Gwynedd) where the company has been for 220 years.

This. I really dont think the development at that Brains site will go forward all that much. Certainly not to the current scale anyway. If Central Square cant attract new, private firms then I dont think an even bigger development will.

Where are Watkin Jones HQ'd? Isnt it in Chester? I'd love for a genuinely up-and-coming Welsh business actually focus their HQ on Cardiff.

Watkin Jones are a North Wales company, their HQ is already in Wales (Bangor, Gwynedd) where the company has been for 220 years.

Yup, with a regional office in Cardiff for their south Wales projects.

Yes, they do have an office in Chester (Runcorn, roughly equidistant to Liverpool and Manchester). It's where their development branch (Newmark Developments) is based. When you consider the extent of their developments across the UK, this makes sense. It's close to their HQ in Gwynedd, but has far better connections the rest of the UK and can also hope to attract a better calibre of staff than a rural backwater.

I'd love it if they decided to base this in Cardiff. But think about it. How would the Board in Gwynedd get down to Cardiff for regular meetings? There's no decent road or rail link from North Wales to Cardiff. How would the developments team get around? Do we have an airport with great connections so that they could fly up to sites in Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle?

It's these sort of problems regarding connectivity that are stiffling business growth in Cardiff. Our capital should be sufficient to provide the engine for much of the Welsh economy. At the moment it's not even delivering for South Wales, never mind about the north and the western parts.

Yes, they do have an office in Chester (Runcorn, roughly equidistant to Liverpool and Manchester). It's where their development branch (Newmark Developments) is based. When you consider the extent of their developments across the UK, this makes sense. It's close to their HQ in Gwynedd, but has far better connections the rest of the UK and can also hope to attract a better calibre of staff than a rural backwater.

I'd love it if they decided to base this in Cardiff. But think about it. How would the Board in Gwynedd get down to Cardiff for regular meetings? There's no decent road or rail link from North Wales to Cardiff. How would the developments team get around? Do we have an airport with great connections so that they could fly up to sites in Glasgow, Leeds, Newcastle?

It's these sort of problems regarding connectivity that are stiffling business growth in Cardiff. Our capital should be sufficient to provide the engine for much of the Welsh economy. At the moment it's not even delivering for South Wales, never mind about the north and the western parts.

Runcorn isn't Chester. It IS in Cheshire but it is an entirely separate town in a different local authority. It is quite easy to get from Bangor to Cardiff by air, using the service from Valley on Ynys Mon to Cardiff airport. However, why there is a call to relocate Watkins Jones is beyond me. They seem to being doing just fine under their present arrangements.

Runcorn isn't Chester. It IS in Cheshire but it is an entirely separate town in a different local authority. It is quite easy to get from Bangor to Cardiff by air, using the service from Valley on Ynys Mon to Cardiff airport. However, why there is a call to relocate Watkins Jones is beyond me. They seem to being doing just fine under their present arrangements.

Yes of course, I meant Cheshire, not Chester!

I don't think that there's necessarily a call for them specifically to move. Someone else cited them as an example and I was just making the point that in an ideal world, we would have a successful Welsh company choosing to set up its key offices in Wales rather than somewhere in England. But having done business with them, I understand their set-up. It works for them and hopefully they'll carry on being successful at it.

Whilst cross-boarder trade is great, we need to look objectively at the reasons why our companies choose to use services or invest elsewhere rather than our own capital city. We need to start thinking how we can link different parts of the Welsh economy. We need more inward investment as well as outside investment. It's not nationalism, but we need to work together to achieve a critical mass of businesses and organisations that fuel development and opportunities.

I'll give you an example of the state of things on a topic relevant to this forum. I work for an engineering consultancy head quartered in Bristol and with no Welsh offices and no plans to open any. Yet over the last 18 months alone, all of my projects have been in Cardiff (including two tower projects). Pretty much every Bristol-based consultancy has the same attitude: "we can do work in Wales from here". Despite that, one of our competitors (Cardiff-based and owned) has just opened an office in Bristol to win Bristol-based work. It's a trading mentallity that doesn't seem to be reciprocated! Bristol-based firms do far more work in Wales than Cardiff-based firms do in England. Yes we should have free trade and open competition across the entire South Wales/South West area, but the captial city of Wales should not be overly reliant on a regional city of England for services.

However, why there is a call to relocate Watkins Jones is beyond me. They seem to being doing just fine under their present arrangements.

I wasnt calling for them to relocate. I was using them as an example.