Work starts on latest big city scheme

WORK has started on the latest phase of Cardiff’s Central Square.

Hoarding is being put up around the old Thomson House site – the former home of the Western Mail and Echo on Havelock Street – and gates for pedestrians and vehicles are being installed.

According to principal contractor Robert McAlpine, the work is the latest phase of their “enabling works” at the site in Park Street.

Cardiff Demolition has been appointed to begin works on Monday. Its job is to demolish parts of the existing basement ahead of piling beginning in the autumn.

Cardiff council’s cabinet has already given approval for St David’s House, in Wood Street, to be demolished.

The new HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) headquarters in Wales is expected to be located on the site.

Around 3,000 people will be employed at the office – with 2,000 staff relocating from HMRC’s Ty Glas operation in Llanishen.

The scheme is pending the UK Government giving its own approval.

The building is part of the huge Central Square scheme, which already includes offices, the new BBC headquarters and plans for the bus station. Cardiff University’s journalism school is also moving to the site.

The process of moving tax office 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.

HMRC will also have an option for a second office in Central Square.

St David’s House is currently 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. According to Cardiff council, there is one tenant at St David’s House that has a lease which runs beyond the required demolition date.

The developers will either relocate the tenant within the Central Square redevelopment or else accommodate the tenant at St David’s House through a partial demolition.