Schroder UK Real Estate Fund (‘SREF’), the owner of Mermaid Quay, the popular mixed-use destination on the waterfront in Cardiff Bay, has today (21 January 2019) announced proposals for the extension and improvement of the complex’s car park.
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The car park, which has been designed by architects Austin Smith Lord, is the latest phase in the fund’s multi-million pound strategic repositioning of the scheme, in line with Cardiff Council’s ambitious vision for the future of the Bay.
The demand for enhanced parking facilities comes hand in hand with SREF’s investment into the development of a new Everyman cinema, due to open later this year, new restaurant brands and new public realm, alongside the extension to Techniquest and the Council’s proposals for an Arena in the Bay.
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The car park proposals include:
- A high quality redevelopment of the existing two-level car park to improve the arrival experience of visitors to Cardiff Bay, while also being sensitive to neighbours;
- A contemporary new look, with shaped aluminium fins undulating to create excitement and interest;
- Two new floors added to the existing car park – adding more than 300 new spaces (up to 682 spaces from 372 spaces) including:
- 33 accessible spaces on ground floor (up from 17)
- 28 wide parent & child spaces (up from 10)
- 20 spaces with electric vehicle charging points;
- New exits and a new layout to make it easier to get in to, out of and around the car park, reducing peak time congestion;
- A new cycle hub with parking for 60 cycles in mix of secure lockers and Sheffield cycle hoops as well as space for bike hire and repair facilities;
- Three new well-lit staircases plus two lifts so that everyone can get to the upper floors;
- Green wall cladding to two of the staircases – to enhance biodiversity and soften the appearance of the car park;
- A patterned, permeable perforated metal screen at ground floor, allowing natural ventilation of the car park and interest for pedestrians;
- New signage and wayfinding;
- New lighting and a CCTV system to enhance safety and security; and
- New landscaping including adding to the existing trees and shrubs at the rear of the car park.
Commenting on the proposals, Harry Pickering, SREF’s Head of UK Retail & Leisure, said:
“Our car park provides parking for visitors to the waterfront, including Mermaid Quay, and the wider Cardiff Bay area including Techniquest, the Wales Millennium Centre and Roald Dahl Plass. It is well used and often reaches capacity.
“More parking is definitely needed in Cardiff Bay both to meet growing demand from existing visitors and to provide extra capacity as the Council’s ambitious plans for further leisure uses in Cardiff Bay come forward. We believe that extending our car park is therefore an important project for the whole of the Bay.”
A pre-application public consultation has now commenced. SREF, advised by planning consultants Savills, aims to submit a full planning application in February. If planning permissions is granted, work could start on site as soon as Autumn 2019 with completion Summer 2020.
A public exhibition about the proposals is being held on the first floor of The Atrium at Mermaid Quay (by The Glee comedy club) until 17 February. In addition, details are available bilingually on the consultation websites at https://sites.savills.com/mqcp/en (English) and https://sites.savills.com/mqcp/cy (Cymraeg) together with all the planning documents.
Members of the public and interested parties are invited to provide feedback on the proposals* by 17 February, by completing the form on the website or:
Email : [email protected]
Post : Planning consultations
Savills
2 Kingsway
Cardiff CF10 3FD
* This is an opportunity to comment direct to the developer on the proposals before the submission of a planning application. Any subsequent planning application will be publicised by the City of Cardiff Council in line with statutory requirements. Comments to the developer will not prejudice anyone’s ability to make representations to the Council on any related planning application. Any comments that are submitted may be placed on the public file.
