Another Madcap Scheme In Cardiff Bay

[Snugglybear]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/8580559.stm

Story starts off all positive

"Plans have been unveiled for a five star hotel in Cardiff which it is claimed will be Wales' tallest building at 127m (417ft)."

However, the next sentence is already full of "is due to" and "likely to". So nothing very definite then.

"Work is due to start on the 32-storey Wyndham Cardiff towards the end of the year and it is likely to open by 2013."

Then we start getting rather negative.

"The £60m hotel in Cardiff Bay will also feature apartments. It comes as assembly government planning inspectors voiced concern over council plans to build thousands of new flats in Cardiff over 10 years."

There's some puff from the developers and the council.

"On the new hotel development, Wyndham Hotel Group and Bayscape Ltd said the plans also included 35 serviced apartments on the top floors of the tower and 100 "residential units". The developers say they are "demonstrably different to anything that can currently be found in Cardiff Bay". There will also be a spa, conference facilities, bars and restaurants. Some 200 permanent jobs are expected to be created. The hotel, which the developers say will be the tallest hotel tower in the UK, will be built on the international sports village site and connects to the 350-berth Cardiff Marina. "Wyndham Cardiff will eclipse the 28-storey Meridian Quay development in Swansea Marina."

The leader of Cardiff council said the hotel would be a "striking addition". Drew McDonald, director of Bayscape Ltd, said: "The people of Cardiff are rightly proud of their city. It's a dynamic, vibrant place with a real buzz about it. We are thrilled to be bringing a Wyndham hotel to the city and can't wait to bring this iconic building to life."

Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman said the hotel would be "another landmark for Cardiff and a striking addition to Cardiff's international sports village".

But then we get the lowdown on why it's not going to get built.

"A separate plan to build a 33-storey residential development in Cardiff Bay, which would have been the highest building in Wales, was scrapped last year. Market conditions were blamed at the time for the Bay Pointe plan being abandoned.

BBC Wales current affairs programme Week In Week Out broadcast on Tuesday will say Cardiff council's own officials are recommending the withdrawal of a key planning document following concern over plans to build thousand of flats on brownfield sites in the next 10 years.

Assembly government planning inspectors, academics, businesses and local residents have questioned the wisdom and feasibility of the projected brownfield developments. It follows the credit crunch and increasing demands for family homes rather than flats. At a recent meeting, assembly government inspectors told Cardiff councillors they did not think the strategy of building flats on brownfield sites would work.

Council leader Mr Berman has accused assembly government officials of causing uncertainty, with elected council members unsure whether to tear up the Local Development Plan (LDP) and start all over again. The LDP is a major document providing the framework for Cardiff's housing, jobs and quality of life for the next 15 years and has already taken four years to draw up.

Mr Berman said: "We've had a very strong hint from the inspectors that they think [the LDP] is unsound in many aspects, but they won't give a definitive view until they've heard all the evidence, so we're really caught in a difficult position here. "Do we go back to the drawing board and start again? It's not an easy choice."

Resident Neil Sinclair, who has lived in the area all his life, told the programme: "There are far too many flats, and there's no need for flats… local people would like to have houses to raise a family in."

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[The Masked Tulip]

Just watched a BBC Wales news item on this and it also voiced concern at the number of properties in the Bay already.

Wales needs real well paying private sector jobs and not more flats, hotels and stuff.

[tomwatkins]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/8580559.stm

Story starts off all positive

"Plans have been unveiled for a five star hotel in Cardiff which it is claimed will be Wales' tallest building at 127m (417ft)."

However, the next sentence is already full of "is due to" and "likely to". So nothing very definite then.

"Work is due to start on the 32-storey Wyndham Cardiff towards the end of the year and it is likely to open by 2013."

Then we start getting rather negative.

"The £60m hotel in Cardiff Bay will also feature apartments. It comes as assembly government planning inspectors voiced concern over council plans to build thousands of new flats in Cardiff over 10 years."

There's some puff from the developers and the council.

"On the new hotel development, Wyndham Hotel Group and Bayscape Ltd said the plans also included 35 serviced apartments on the top floors of the tower and 100 "residential units". The developers say they are "demonstrably different to anything that can currently be found in Cardiff Bay". There will also be a spa, conference facilities, bars and restaurants. Some 200 permanent jobs are expected to be created. The hotel, which the developers say will be the tallest hotel tower in the UK, will be built on the international sports village site and connects to the 350-berth Cardiff Marina. "Wyndham Cardiff will eclipse the 28-storey Meridian Quay development in Swansea Marina."

The leader of Cardiff council said the hotel would be a "striking addition". Drew McDonald, director of Bayscape Ltd, said: "The people of Cardiff are rightly proud of their city. It's a dynamic, vibrant place with a real buzz about it. We are thrilled to be bringing a Wyndham hotel to the city and can't wait to bring this iconic building to life."

Cardiff council leader Rodney Berman said the hotel would be "another landmark for Cardiff and a striking addition to Cardiff's international sports village".

But then we get the lowdown on why it's not going to get built.

"A separate plan to build a 33-storey residential development in Cardiff Bay, which would have been the highest building in Wales, was scrapped last year. Market conditions were blamed at the time for the Bay Pointe plan being abandoned.

BBC Wales current affairs programme Week In Week Out broadcast on Tuesday will say Cardiff council's own officials are recommending the withdrawal of a key planning document following concern over plans to build thousand of flats on brownfield sites in the next 10 years.

Assembly government planning inspectors, academics, businesses and local residents have questioned the wisdom and feasibility of the projected brownfield developments. It follows the credit crunch and increasing demands for family homes rather than flats. At a recent meeting, assembly government inspectors told Cardiff councillors they did not think the strategy of building flats on brownfield sites would work.

Council leader Mr Berman has accused assembly government officials of causing uncertainty, with elected council members unsure whether to tear up the Local Development Plan (LDP) and start all over again. The LDP is a major document providing the framework for Cardiff's housing, jobs and quality of life for the next 15 years and has already taken four years to draw up.

Mr Berman said: "We've had a very strong hint from the inspectors that they think [the LDP] is unsound in many aspects, but they won't give a definitive view until they've heard all the evidence, so we're really caught in a difficult position here. "Do we go back to the drawing board and start again? It's not an easy choice."

Resident Neil Sinclair, who has lived in the area all his life, told the programme: "There are far too many flats, and there's no need for flats… local people would like to have houses to raise a family in."

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What's the definition of a "permanent job?" Obviously guvmint of some sort.

[Snugglybear]

What's the definition of a "permanent job?" Obviously guvmint of some sort.

I think by permanent jobs they mean jobs once the hotel is finished, rather than during the construction period.

That would be bartenders, waiting staff, chambermaids - jobs often filled by people from Eastern Europe and paying peanuts in any case.

So, a real boost for the local economy.

[The Masked Tulip]

I think by permanent jobs they mean jobs once the hotel is finished, rather than during the construction period.

That would be bartenders, waiting staff, chambermaids - jobs often filled by people from Eastern Europe and paying peanuts in any case.

So, a real boost for the local economy.

Yes, but somewhere lovely for all the AMs and Welsh speaking senior civil servants to go and have a drink and a meal and a, um, relaxing sauna and massage at the end of a busy day.

[swa]

week in week out 10.35pm bbc1 wales