County Hall, the headquarters of Cardiff council, could soon be knocked down and replaced with flats and hotels.
The building overlooks the Bute East Dock in the Atlantic Wharf and was opened in 1988, initially as the home of the former South Glamorgan county council.
But under new plans, as part of the indoor arena redevelopment, County Hall would be replaced with hotels and apartment towers reaching up to 17 storeys tall.
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Cardiff council’s planning committee gave permission for the redevelopment on Wednesday, March 16, prompting questions over where the council’s headquarters is relocating.
As well as building a huge new arena with capacity for 17,000, the council is planning to redevelop the wider 13-hectare area around the Atlantic Wharf. This includes closing part of Hemingway Road and turning it into a public square, and building new hotels, museums, offices, and a metro station.
At this stage full details are only available for the arena and a hotel behind it, as these were given full planning permission, with the rest of the development given only outline planning permission. This means separate applications will be made in future with full details of the flats and hotels set to replace County Hall, and the rest of the wider redevelopment.
According to planning documents, County Hall would be demolished at some point between 2029 to 2031, with the wider redevelopment fully complete by 2032.
The council is due to decide later this year on whether to move to a new location, or stay at County Hall.
A council spokesperson said: “The council is currently reviewing its office requirements following the pandemic and anticipates taking a decision on its future core office requirements later in 2022.”
The masterplan for the Atlantic Wharf redevelopment is not set in stone and could change to keep County Hall where it is, depending on the council’s decision on whether to relocate.
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