New city square takes a step forward amid criticism of ‘bleak’ design

Plans have been submitted to Cardiff City Council  for a new city square at St David’s, Cardiff featuring a water fountain splash pad and new trees, aiming to “inject new life into the area”.

Following extensive engagement with more than 5,000 people across the local community, the proposed 9,480 sqm city square is equivalent to almost one and a half rugby pitches, and is set to be transformed with a £17million investment from Landsec.

Located on the site of the former Debenhams store, where demolition is underway, the plans will create an open, safe space for families and a vibrant, cultural place for residents and visitors to St David’s and the city.

Child Friendly City

Plans for the pedestrianised city square include new play places for families with a water fountain splash pad, supporting Cardiff’s credentials as the UK’s first UNICEF Child Friendly City.

To bring new experiences to this part of the city, the square has an open space with a stage for locals and tourists to enjoy performances open to the community. The space could potentially host markets, local street food vendors and other events.

With recent research by Landsec revealing that 75% of people in Cardiff think access to nature and green space should be a priority to developers, Landsec has made this central to the plans.

The square will be landscaped with new trees and a diverse mix of native planting, boosting biodiversity and people’s access to quality nature in the city centre.

The square will feature new cycle parking spaces to meet the growing demand for sustainable travel. Two new restaurants with terraces and several smaller kiosk-style units will open out onto the square, creating new local jobs and opportunities for brands to attract more people to this part of St David’s.

Helen Morgan, Centre Director of St David’s Cardiff, commented: “This investment means we can unlock the potential of this currently under-used area and bring life and value back to this part of Cardiff once again. With new experiences for people and more opportunities for brands, the square will enable St David’s to contribute even more to Cardiff’s thriving city centre and growing economy.”

The planning decision is expected to be made by the end of the year, and Landsec is aiming to open the square to the public in Summer 2026.

“Missed opportunity”

The plans have been criticised by a heritage group as “bleak, uninviting and sterile”

Cardiff Civic Society has contrasted the proposed public space on the site of the closed Debenhams store adjacent to the St David’s shopping centre with “lush, green and leafy” pocket parks created in London.

Cardiff Civic Society chair Nerys Lloyd-Pierce said: “We are very disappointed with this proposal. It’s as bleak and uninviting as Central Square. We called for a ‘pocket park’ – somewhere lush, green and leafy, a haven for humans and wildlife. Instead, we have a sterile, harsh paved area. It raises many issues:

“Climate change – hard landscaping like this will add to the problem of city centres becoming ‘heat islands’. Also, it offers little opportunity for water capture in our increasingly wet winters. Trees and shrubbery would help with this, hard landscaping will just cause run-off.

“Nature emergency. Somewhere filled with trees and shrubs – for example, trees with berries that provide food in autumn and winter, would provide birds with a welcome food source as the colder months approach. The planting proposed here is just tokenism.

“Access. It appears that there will be units selling food etc. But that’s commercialisation, not public open space. A pocket park would provide a space for everyone to relax and improve health and wellbeing in the process.

“I had numerous emails from people who were sad to lose the open area destined to become the Admiral HQ. It was so valued and hugely missed. With a little thought and imagination and will, the new square could be an asset to us city dwellers. Instead, I suspect the new square will not welcome anyone without the cash to splash on coffee and snacks.

“London has numerous pocket parks. They are glorious. Peaceful, cool, leafy and filled with bird song. I know they have the advantage of being well established, and the trees are mature, but you have to start somewhere. This square doesn’t even aspire to anything even approaching this. It really is a missed opportunity.”