Houses and flats plan for huge tax office site
IT is not long until the huge tax office complex in the Llanishen suburb of Cardiff is going to be vacated – and plans are being finalised for the site’s redevelopment.
HMRC staff are expected to start moving into the new offices in the city centre development from the start of 2020. The £100m building in Central Square is the biggest ever office scheme in Wales and will house 4,000 workers.
With the move imminent, plans for development of the Llanishen site, which has been home to the tax office for 50 years, are progressing with proposals for more than 350 flats and homes, retirement complex and a care home.
The key points of the proposals from Cannon Capitol Developments are:
■ Demolition of all buildings with the exception of Gleider House (the smaller tower facing Ty Glas Road);
■ Conversion of Gleider into 142 one and two-bedroomed apartments with commercial units at ground level;
■ 195 new-build family houses;
■ 80 retirement apartments;
■ 70-bed care home facility; and
■ Plans for open spaces, pedestrian and cycling links.
Demolition of the site is likely to cost around £14.8m because of the “sheer size of the buildings, the high amount of asbestos in the buildings and the contamination in the ground because it used to be part of the site of a Royal Ordnance Factory”.
Owners Mapeley Estates Ltd say: “Due to the high costs involved in redeveloping this complex brownfield site, the provision of planning obligations will be challenging. Discussions are ongoing with the planning department regarding this.
“When HMRC relocates, it is extremely unlikely that the main tower, given its scale, condition and location will ever be completely re-let for employment use.
“Previous marketing of Gleider House has not managed to obtain occupiers for 40,000sqft of vacant space over the last 18 years.
“It is therefore considered that a more suitable use for this substantial location is the provision of dwelling, care home and a retirement complex.”
Shaun Jenkins, councillor for Llanishen and Thornhill, said: “This site is so expansive that any changes to it will change the feel and character of the area.”
He admitted that there is a lot of “apprehension” among local residents, adding: “There are concerns that we’ll end up with a scheme put together by a national housebuilder putting profit before community. Residents want to see the site used to benefit Llanishen and make the area better, and it is important that the community is given a fair chance to have its say.”