Demolition of prominent city centre building gets underway
Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter
Work to demolish a prominent former office block in Cardiff city centre and replace it with student flats is now well underway.
Cardiff Council’s planning committee approved plans in September 2024 to demolish Longcross Court and use the site on Newport Road for an 18-storey accommodation complex.
Loncross Court was originally built as an office block in the 1970s, but it also used to house a number of businesses, including Channings and Adventure Rooms.
The student accommodation block which is set to replace it will include 706 private rooms, a cafe and 480sqm of office space.
When plans to demolish and build over Longcross Court were approved, councillors expressed both concern and relief over the future of the red brick building at the bottom of City Road.
‘Negative impact’
At the time, one member of the council’s planning committee, Cllr Jon Shimmin, said he felt the new development would have a negative impact on the character of the area.
On the structure which will form the main block of the student accommodation scheme, he added it “doesn’t enhance” the site and “adds nothing to the skyline of Cardiff”.
However, other members of the planning committee were more favourable.
Cllr Sean Driscoll suggested Longcross Court represented an eyesore in this part of the city, calling the building “abysmal”.
He added: “[It is] like Ayers Rock in the middle of Adamsdown.”
Other concerns raised at the time included potential traffic issues caused by the dropping off and picking up of students at the beginning and end of terms; the overall loss of office space in the city centre; and the quality of living for students.
Council planners told planning committee members that more than a quarter of the units fail to achieve adequate light – something Cllr Shimmin called “unacceptable”.
He added: “This one room… will be the only bit they [students] can call their own in this big city.”
Light levels
Planning officers at Cardiff Council noted the light levels in these spaces were regrettable, but added this degree of impact was considered as part of the wider planning balance and potential benefits the development will bring.
There will also be communal spaces on site, like a cinema, gym and rooftop garden, and committee members were told a condition is in place to ensure the development is only used for student accommodation and not more permanent accommodation.
The developers behind the scheme will be required to submit a plan on how they will manage traffic at the end and start of term before any part of the building is occupied.
A design and access statement written on behalf of the developers states the new site will “regenerate a prominent site in a sustainable location, to provide high quality” accommodation.
It goes on to add the scheme will also “enhance” the public realm and “animate the surrounding streets of Newport Road, City Road and Oxford Lane”.
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More student accommodation at a time of falling student numbers? I’m glad the the owners of these student accommodation suppliers tend to be foreign owned so it’s not my tax, savings or pension being spent!
There’s plenty of students in run down family homes that could move into purpose built student accomodation, freeing up the family homes for families.
Fair point. Must say though, this logic has been applied in other cities and hasn’t worked.
It would be nice to see Roath/Cathays return to being not so studenty areas
It could be given a nudge by removing the student council tax exemption.
Why are they demolishing office space? Is there no further need for office space in the capital? Then why are they building a massive business park in St mellons if there is no need for office space?
Students can’t afford the prices they’re asking for rent,it’s stupid there’s so many of them everywhere, & most of them are empty, they’re so tiny,I won’t do their mental health any good they’re like boxes.
This smacks of greed building yet another suboptimal building to cram as many people in as you can. There is also a tendency to convert even quite small two and three bed terraced houses into HMOs some of which come under permitted development. Commercialisation of the university and college sector has led to a diminution in the quality of the experience and also in the quality of the available courses with an emphasis on material which can be taught on line. Therefore it is importsnt that such students have adequate and comfortable rooms to work in.
Are you suggesting this development doesn’t provide students with adequate and comfortable rooms to work in?
Great more student housing, don’t we have enough of these…why not build something for the actual community
This is a private development. Why didn’t you buy the land and build something for the community?
Of course it’s student flats it’s always student flats. How about doing something for the actual people of Cardiff for a change. Even the students don’t want to live in this s**t holes.
Another poor decision made by the council, replacing one awful building with another even bigger one that will overshadow the area. This was a great opportunity for housing that would create a community and add to the local area. However, the councillors have gone against common sense and the fact of falling student numbers and let it proceed with no parking facilities or transportation consideration. No doubt this building will end up as short term lets. Undoubtedly those that allowed this scheme will be the same ones who vote themselves a new grand headquarters rather than utilise empty space in… Read more »
What will the new building replacing Longcross Court look like?
https://nation.cymru/news/plans-for-new-student-accommodation-block-approved/
If Longcross Court was an eyesore what about the old cinema on City Road which has been a total eyesore for years and years? If City Road is having the massive revamp the Council is proposing, I hope this is part of it.