The Cardiff that never happened

Mar 1 2008 by Phillip Nifield, South Wales Echo

After 38 years at the Echo, outgoing political editor Phillip Nifield has seen many changes to the Cardiff skyline. Here’s a few of the revolutionary ideas which never quite made it beyond the drawing board...

BY now you should be riding on a personal driverless system between the city centre and Cardiff Bay.

The ULTra, as it would have been known, is just one of the many grand and glorious ideas dreamed up for the capital and revealed to readers by Phillip Nifield, the Echo’s business and political editor who left the paper yesterday after 38 years.

However, none of the projects ever got any further than the drawing board.

At £40m, the pod was due to revolutionise transport in the city and although Cardiff council was enthusiastic – and a test track was created – the idea was ridiculed in many quarters.

It eventually led to the Welsh Assembly Government pulling the plug and denying funding, although the ULTra may now see the light of day transporting passengers around Heathrow Airport.

And do you remember those early artist’s impressions of the redevelopment of the Millennium Stadium?

Well, alongside the ground a huge tower with a revolving restaurant on top was featured and a rugby ball- shaped hotel where the Holiday Inn now stands.

Well, at least the city got an iconic stadium.

In Westgate Street – at the main entrance to the Millennium Stadium – plans were unveiled for a plaza, including a landmark tower.

And down in Cardiff Bay, the ideas men sometimes got carried away.

Indeed, as part of the sports village development there were early plans for a coal discharger and “world of tugs” attraction. That idea clearly didn’t find favour with investors willing to fund the scheme and it has yet to see the light of day.

phillip.nifield@mediawales.co.uk