New tax HQ offers jobs boost for capital
WORK on a major tax hub which promises to create up to 1,000 jobs could start before the end of the year.
The new HM Revenues & Customs (HMRC) headquarters in Wales will be located in Cardiff city centre on the site of the former Thomson House – the former offices of the Western Mail & Echo.
Cardiff council cabinet has given approval for St David’s House on Wood Street to be demolished – which paves the way for the HMRC offices to be built as part of the extensive Central Square redevelopment.
Around 3,000 people will be employed at the office – with 2,000 staff relocating from HMRC’s Ty Glas operation in Llanishen.
If the UK Government gives its own approval soon, it would mean the offices could be completed by April 2019, with staff moving in by that summer.
The process of moving staff out of Llanishen has already begun, with the government department taking 50,000sq ft of short-term office space at Brunel House in the centre of Cardiff.
At a Cabinet meeting yesterday, council leader Phil Bale said: “We know that as part of the HMRC rationalisation programme they are looking to create new additional jobs in Cardiff.
“It is certainly a net gain for jobs in terms of the HMRC aspect but we have to look beyond this.
“It is having a catalyst effect on development on this part of Cardiff.
“This kind of scheme and this level of development is really giving a message of confidence to our capital city at the moment during some very uncertain times with the approach of triggering Article 50.”
HMRC will also have an option for a second office in central square.
St David’s House is occupied by Boots and Greggs – which both moved from Marland House before its demolition – as well as other stores including Tesco, Comic Guru and Antics models and hobbies.
After an extensive property search the Government Property Unit (GPU) drew up a shortlist of three locations earlier this year after ruling out an existing surface car park site close to the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay and a five-acre undeveloped land site at Callaghan Square, which is owned by the Welsh Government.
On the shortlist was a bid from family-run company Rapport for a two-acre site covering a car park and offices it owns at Bridge Street. It had teamed up with property development firm Stoford.
The cost of building a new HQ for HMRC could be around £100m.