No action against developers who knocked down historic Guildford Crescent

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Cardiff Council will not take enforcement action against developers for knocking down a historical Cardiff building frontage without planning permission.

Members of Cardiff Council’s planning committee said they were disappointed that GT Guildford Crescent Limited went against council advice and demolished the Guildford Crescent façade last year.

However, they still approved plans that the developer initially made to carry out the act at a meeting on Thursday, July 11.

Cardiff Council argued that the most appropriate form of action that could be taken, requiring the developers to rebuild the 19th Century façade, was something that was already proposed as part of the approved application.

The Crooked House

A member of the council’s planning committee, Cllr Adrian Robson said: “This has the potential to become our version of the Crooked House.. with the way that unfortunately the developer decided to demolish the façade against officer advice.

“I think the comment that it is disappointing is a very light word to be used… and I also agree with Cllr Shimmin and others that the suggestion that the council officers haven’t acted on this and let this happen is unfair because of the developers’ actions.

“I agree the application is a good one. It rebuilds the façade, so I will be supporting the application today but it is very frustrating that we are in this position.”

Precedent

Cllr Robson later added that he hopes the council’s decision will not be taken as a precedent going forward.

Cardiff Council operational manager for strategic development management and placemaking, Steve Ball, said: “This won’t be a precedent.

“It doesn’t justify people going and demolishing things that they shouldn’t.

“What I would say is outside of this process members will know that the stronger, fairer, greener principle behind protecting the city’s heritage… and the potential for article 4 directions to be placed on buildings, which we have done for a couple of buildings in the city in recent times, does give us… ability for some of the additional planning controls going forward.”

GT Guildford Crescent Limited applied to demolish what remained of 1-6 Guildford Crescent in August 2023 because it believed them to no longer be structurally safe.

Shortly after, on September 5, Cardiff Council was told that the façade had been demolished – a move which it said was in breach of planning rules – and the developer was ordered to cease works.

The site where 1-6 Guildford Crescent once stood will eventually be home to a new 30-storey block of apartments as part of the wider scheme.

Dismay

Another member of the council’s planning committee, Cllr Jon Shimmin, expressed “dismay” at the developer not following the advice of planning officers, adding: “It has brought bad light on to the council I think in a way which is unfair to the officers”.

Cllr Garry Hunt said: “It was part of Cardiff and part of the city and that is what is disappointing… is the fact that that was just destroyed unnecessarily and I think it is a shame.”

Following on from her colleagues, Cllr Emma Reid-Jones said: “In this particular instance, there are no consequences to the action of knocking down Guildford Crescent.

“It is disappointing, it is regrettable. We are where we are.

“We do need to move forward, but I am very disappointed.”