HMRC city centre office block plans set to get go-ahead

THE biggest ever office deal in Wales is set to be given the go-ahead within days.

A planning application for land north of Cardiff’s Wood Street, near Cardiff Central railway station and Principality Stadium, will go before the city’s council’s planning committee on Wednesday.

Plans for the deal were confirmed in August, with HMRC agreeing a move to new headquarters in the centre of the Welsh capital.

The UK Government announced that HMRC, which currently has its main Welsh tax office in Llanishen, had signed up to a new building marking the next phase of development at the flagship Central Square regeneration scheme.

The project, which is being delivered by Cardiff-based property development firm Rightacres Property in partnership with financial services giant Legal and General and Cardiff council, is scheduled for completion in late 2019, with HMRC moving into its new offices from 2020.

The office block, split into two wings, would occupy the greater part of the empty site previously occupied by Media Wales’ former Thomson House printing works, which was demolished in 2008.

The 12-storey office block with a ground-floor retail/cafe area would include spaces for 158 bikes, basement parking for 14 cars and a new public square between the building and Wood Street. The square would feature an outdoor seating area, a flexible open space and public art.

A council report released ahead of Wednesday’s meeting recommends full planning permission should be granted, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement.

Rightacres Property Company Ltd has agreed to put forward £1.2m to be used “towards the wider Central Square public realm works”.

The report says the character of the square would be different to that of Central Square, and is “likely to be more of an area for sitting and relaxation with the potential for café/restaurant type uses, and the incorporation of a significant piece of public art”.

The report said: “The creation of a new public square is a significant gain for Cardiff and further realises the vision for the area in accordance with the 2016 local development plan.”

While a pre-application public consultation was carried out in May and June, the council report said the main comments received from the public included “another bland office building”, “square too small”, and “scheme by virtue of its proximity to neighbouring buildings prejudices new development and alterations”.

The HMRC office in Cardiff will be one of 13 regional tax centres across the UK, with HMRC agreeing a 25-year lease for its new Cardiff building.

Some 3,600 HMRC staff will be based at the new headquarters.

Also joining them will be the Wales Office, with its current Cardiff Bay office moving into the hub.

As part of UK Government plans to create a major public sector hub, a number of other non-devolved civil service operations in Wales could join HMRC – taking staff numbers to about 4,000.

Other projects already delivered or under construction at Central Square include the now fully let One Central Square office scheme, a new 150,000sq ft headquarters for BBC Wales, and the 135,000sq ft No 2 Central Square office scheme which will be home to law firm Hugh James and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies.

With further phases of developments at Central Square – including the proposed Interchange scheme which will house a new bus station for the city – the one million square foot office, retail and residential scheme will be eventually be home to about 10,000 workers.