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Cardiff Council Update: 16 October 2024
Here is your Wednesday update, covering:
- Cardiff Council unveils latest plans for more cost-effective core office provision
- Restoration of architectural gem in Cardiff city centre edges closer
- New Multi-Storey Car Park set to be built in Cardiff Bay
- Seventy new wayfinding signs set to be installed across the city and Cardiff Bay
Cardiff Council unveils latest plans for more cost-effective core office provision
Cardiff Council has unveiled plans to replace the aging County Hall with a smaller modern office building.
After a detailed business case process, the new build option has been confirmed at less than half the price of refurbishing County Hall and it will also be less than half the costtorun each year.
Due to rising demand for social services and provision for additional learning needs in schools, allied to rising costs, Cardiff is facing a projected budget gap of almost £60 million next year and a medium-term gap of nearly £150 million by 2029.
Maintenance and running costs associated with council buildings are the second most significant expense for the local authority after staffing costs, making it crucial to save money and avoid additional costs.
A report to the council's Cabinet on Thursday, October 24, will note that to make County Hall fit for purpose for the future and to significantly extend its lifespan would require over £100m of capital investment.
In thelight of that, Cabinet will be recommended to build a new, smaller core office building at about one third of the size of the current County Hall to deliver the following benefits:
- Much reduced capital investment with a new building costing around half of the cost of modernising the current County Hall.
- Big savings on running costs from a muchsmaller, energy-efficient building.
- Office space that is better suited to modern working practices and partnership working.
- A net zero carbon building, aligning with the Council's One Planet Cardiff commitments.
Restoration of architectural gem in Cardiff city centre edges closer
One of Cardiff's finest buildings could be brought back to life after lying empty over a year, if a financial loans package to cover refurbishment costs is agreed by Cardiff Council.
On Thursday, October 17, the council's Cabinet will be asked to accept a recommendation to authorise an additional loan of £1,630,000 under the Welsh Government's Town Centre Regeneration scheme to help deal with the increased cost of refurbishing Park House to meet heritage requirements, extending the original loan of £950,000.
Park House, a Grade 1 listed building designed by the renowned Victorian architect William Burges for Lord Bute, has stood empty for 18 months. Using the Welsh Government loans scheme, the council aims to help restore this architectural gem to its former glory.
Once completed Park House will be turned into a vibrant restaurant and events venue, blending modern amenities with its timeless architectural beauty.
The project is being led by highly respected, Welsh chef, Tom Simmons, who is known for his innovative approach to cooking. Simmons plans to create a high-quality dining experience that will attract residents and visitors, making Park House a premier destination for food and events.
New Multi-Storey Car Park set to be built in Cardiff Bay
The detailed design has now been concluded for the proposed new multi-storey car park at Atlantic Wharf which will see the existing surface car parking stacked into a much smaller area enabling the site to be regenerated.
The new car park is part of a commitment from the Council in support of the new Indoor Arena and is also needed to meet the terms of the leases of tenants of the Red Dragon Centre.
A report presented to Cardiff Council's Cabinet on October 17th is now seeking permission to enter a build contract with Goldbeck Construction.
If approval is given, the new car park will replace the existing surface spaces and will retain the total number of spaces in the area following the Council's purchase of the Q-Parks Multi-Storey Car Park on Pierhead Street in January 2024.
Seventy new wayfinding signs set to be installed across the city and Cardiff Bay
Two new types of bilingual wayfinding signs to help visitors navigate their way around the city will be installed in Cardiff Bay on October 16th and 17th to test their durability and design, before being rolled out across the city centre and Cardiff Bay in January 2025.
The new totems, which come in two sizes, and new finger posts, will replace existing tourism signs, which were installed as far back as the 1980's. One hundred and seven old signs will be removed, and 70 new signs will be installed displaying up-to-date maps and information.
This project has received £380,000 from the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and will include the removal of the old signs as well as the design, production and installation of the new way finding signs.
The two new prototypes, a totem and a finger post, will be installed outside the Wales Millennium Centre and the Pierhead Building to test the designs before the new signs go into production.
