Parking fears as extra staff get set

ANYONE living in the centre of Cardiff fully expects it to be busy.

But the changing face of the capital also brings major challenges.

With the capital undergoing the latest stage of its evolving transformation, and new offices being built for thousands of workers, what impact is that having on transport and residents who live less than a mile away?

A new regeneration scheme is set to change Cardiff around Cardiff Central train station.

The Central Square development is one of the biggest changes Cardiff – and Wales – has ever seen.

As well as a 130,000 sq ft office for law firm Hugh James, and the Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies, the development will see a new £120m headquarters for BBC Cymru Wales, a new 270,000 sq ft public sector hub for the UK Government, and a new bus station.

By 2020 the city will look completely different.

A mile west is Grangetown. Nearly 20,000 people live there, according to the 2011 census, with more than a third over the age of 30. While most enjoy their proximity to the city centre, there are now concerns that so much office space does not have anywhere nearly enough parking to accommodate the influx of workers.

Indeed, plans for the sites include just over 100 spaces for both sites – despite the fact that more than 4,000 people are expected to work there.

Under construction as part of the Central Square development is a fully-let office at One Central Square, with more than 1,000 staff; the 135,000 sq ft No 2 Central Square office scheme, which is pre-let to law firm Hugh James, and Cardiff University’s School of Journalism, Media and Culture Studies, as well as a new bus station for the city, expected to be operational in late 2020.

The £100m BBC Cymru Wales building will have cutting-edge technology including a virtual reality enabled studio, a garden area for filming weather forecasts and a water capture system to feed into the toilet facilities.

The 150,000 sq ft building project was designed by Foster + Partners and was handed over earlier this year to be fitted out.

Some 9,000 sq ft of ground floor space is to be set aside for retail units – with Boots, Tesco, Greggs and Pret a Manger understood to be lined up to occupy the space.

Just around the corner will be the new HMRC headquarters in a new UK Government hub.

The tax office, currently located in Llanishen, will move to the new 226,000 sq ft building from 2020.

The 12-storey building will be known as 6 Central Square, with HMRC occupying just over 87% of the building, on the site of the former headquarters and printing presses of Media Wales.

Around 1,200 staff work at the BBC’s HQ in Llandaff, with the first staff set to move from autumn 2019.

All staff are expected to be on the new site by the first quarter of 2020.

More than 3,000 staff from the Llanishen tax office are expected to move into the new HMRC HQ.

The hub will also be the new home of the Wales Office, which will relocate its team of around 25 from its offices in Cardiff Bay.

The Department for Work & Pensions is also expected to join HMRC staff.

According to planning documents, there are to be spaces for 83 cars at the BBC, and 200 bicycles, in a basement car park.

That works out at around 14 people per space on average.

There will be 20 parking spaces at the HMRC’s 6 Central Square building, according to planning documents, with five motorcycle spaces and 174 cycle spaces.

That works out at around 150 people per space.

Residents in Llanishen have complained in the past about staff