Bay skyscraper will be Wales’ tallest building

Feb 28 2008 by Gareth Rogers, South Wales Echo

THE tallest building in Wales will be built in Cardiff Bay after a £500m high-rise development was given the go-ahead.

But police have warned developers Bay Pointe they have to safeguard the largest tower, standing 127 metres, against terror threats with bollards, steel walls and crash-proof barriers.

A meeting of Cardiff council’s planning committee yesterday voted unanimously to allow several of the project’s conditions to be varied, granting outline planning permission to the development, which has been down- scaled from three towers to two on the banks of the River Ely.

The Bay Pointe development at the International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay will see £1.8m handed over to the council to improve access to the site.

Transport officer Peter Davison told the City Hall meeting yesterday: “There is no need for any more highway investments in this area, we need to think about public transport access.

“We must look at how we can get buses, taxis, water taxis and rail access there and this investment should give us a great opportunity.”

The six voting councillors agreed unanimously that the environmental and visual impact of the two towers were acceptable and in context with the current and planned structures in the sports village.

Chief planning officer Sean Hammarby said: “We have had robust negotiations with the developers and this is the best deal that is on the table.”

The towers, which will average 10 flats per floor, will be higher than Penarth Head and the planned sports village casino, but are smaller than originally suggested.

Mike Turner, 34, who lives in Penarth Marina, said: “I am worried that this will look quite ugly when it is all up.

“At the moment the Bay looks quite nice but this will change it completely.”

Planning officer Norman Howlett said: “This is the biggest high-rise water’s edge development in Cardiff and we will insist that the design is absolutely top-notch at the next stage.

“It will be highly glazed and will blend as well as possible into the surrounding areas.”

Detailed planning permission will now be sought by Bay Pointe Limited and their development partners Allied Developments (Europe) Limited and City Lofts Group for the development, which they hope will be completed by 2014.

gareth.rogers@mediawales.co.uk