Bingo hall flats plan goes before planners

PLANS to build flats at the site of a former bingo hall in Cardiff which was gutted by a fire will return to planners this week.

A proposal to build 47 flats on the former site of the Riva Bingo site in Agate Street in Adamsdown was approved by planners in June last year.

But part of the approval was that the applicant had to sign a legal agreement which said they had to provide a total of £767,801 towards affordable housing and open space.

The applicant, named as Mr Malik, agreed those sums.

However he has now returned to the council and said that the cost of clearing the site, removing asbestos, and “additional unforeseen ‘abnormal’ costs” of sprinkler systems needed for an underground car park has meant he is not able to meet that figure.

The council have had the figures reassessed and say they will instead accept a fee of £125,000.

That amount has to be paid at the time the first person moves in.

Councillors will be asked to approve the new legal agreement.

A huge fire devastated the former bingo hall in February 2015. Around 80 firefighters battled the blaze and 60 nearby homes were evacuated.

The hall was originally a cinema.

The original proposal for the flats received objections from local residents. They raised concerns about the lack of parking and increased traffic. There were also complaints about the design and questions about the need for further flats to be built. The building will be five storeys but it is expected only four storeys will be seen from the street.

A number of objections were that the new development is out of keeping with the terraced houses in the neighbourhood.

The application says there will be 11 one-bed flats and 36 two-bed apartments. There will also be 38 underground parking spaces.

The planning committee will meet on Wednesday.