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Wales Online
24-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
A major Cardiff building is set to remain closed for three years
A major Cardiff building is set to remain closed for three years The city centre building has been shut since October 2023 and there is an update on its future St David's Hall in Cardiff was a popular venue for classical and popular music and also hosted ballets and singers (Image: Western Mail ) It's been closed for more than 18 months and now Cardiff Council has issued an update on St David's Hall. The popular city centre classical music venue was shut in September 2023 after the council found that the building contained a type of lightweight concrete prone to sudden failures as it ages called reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Academy Music Group (AMG), which operates music venues across the country, has signed an agreement for a lease to run St David's Hall and details are being finalised for that now. The re-opening of the venue has stalled and been put back a number of times over the years. At the last update earlier this year it had been expected to re-open in autumn or winter 2026. For the latest Cardiff news, sign up to our newsletter here. Now, the council has said that the hoped for re-opening date has been put back to 2027. But the good news is that planning permission was granted recently to carry out the necessary work so it is looking positive. A council spokesperson said: 'Planning permission has recently been granted for the necessary renovation work to St David's Hall. "This is an important step towards the council's goal of seeing the building re-opened to the public. Details of the lease agreement with AMG are now in the process of being finalised, so that work can begin as soon as possible. Article continues below "Once work has begun it is expected to take in the region of 18 months to complete. Subject to any unforeseen issues, St David's Hall could re-open in early 2027." St David's Hall is the usual venue for the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World which was postponed to 2027 after it closed. It is hoped the venue will be ready to open and host the event for that. Meanwhile there is also an update on the other iconic Cardiff building also shut by Raac - City Hall. City Hall is 120 years old (Image: Ted Peskett ) The 120-year-old building will cost up to £69m to restore to modern standards, it has been revealed. The building has been also been closed since October 2023. Council officials have been drawing up a plan to fund and carry out the refurbishment the 1906 building needs. The historic hall was used to host events as well as for office space, council functions and as meetings rooms for councillors. Options from a "do minimum" refurbishment bill of £29m to the full cost £69m including a full maintenance backlog and creating modern office space has been looked at. The impressive Edwardian building, opened by Lord Bute, has marble floors and statues of famous Welsh historic figures. The doors were closed in October 2023 after the problems with the heating, electrics and asbestos worsened. Councillors were told in a report in May 2024 that the original hope had been to re-open the building by that same month, but the work was too large. Issues with the heating system and work to remove asbestos would not be complete until the end of 2025 and the building would not re-open until early 2026, councillors were told. Now, a fresh update and details of how the plans are progressing are due to go before cabinet, the council said. A spokesperson said: "Work on City Hall is progressing well and the building is expected to reopen next year, once work is complete. A full update on progress will be provided to Cabinet in due course." The council was unable to give an exact date for when that progress report would be out. Article continues below
Wales Online
15-05-2025
- Business
- Wales Online
The row over a Welsh village field that's set to rumble on
The row over a Welsh village field that's set to rumble on There are plans to redevelop the field but a campaign group want it to be protected for the community A member of Vale of Glamorgan Council's public protection committee, Cllr Chris Franks, raised concerns about the selection of a chair for the public enquiry (Image: Ted Peskett ) A Welsh community's fight to protect a field in their village from development has taken another turn. The Save Sully and Lavernock Group submitted an application in 2021 to turn a piece of land off South Road in Sully, known as Glebe Fields, into a village green after it was considered for development by Vale of Glamorgan Council. Campaigners, who hope turning the field into a village green will protect it, have been told that their application will now go to a public enquiry. Members of Vale of Glamorgan Council's public protection committee were told in a meeting on Tuesday, May 13 that the enquiry will allow the application to be dealt with transparently after the charity that owns the land objected to it. However, one councillor raised concerns about how the council will be able to come across as fair and transparent when it is the sole trustee of the charity, Vale of Glamorgan Welsh Church Fund, and when it is the one appointing an independent chair for the enquiry. Cllr Franks said: "Is that a good look? Will people understand the fine differences between the trust and the council when the trust is made up of councillors? "How can members of the public be reassured that the independent chair is in fact independent and will judge the matter in an impartial manner?" Article continues below Vale of Glamorgan Council considered Glebe Fields as a candidate site for its local development plan (LDP). Council's use LDPs to decide which sites can be used for future development, including house building and industrial or commercial activity. A GoFundMe page set up by campaigners to raise funds ahead of a public enquiry said Glebe Fields has been used for leisure activities by the local community for centuries and that a successful village green application will give residents continued "unrestrained" use of the land for leisure. Vale of Glamorgan Welsh Church Fund objected to the village green application with its chief argument being that it doesn't think enough people use Glebe Fields for sports and other pastimes. A solicitor at Vale of Glamorgan Council, Jocelyn Ham, said the local authority will appoint a suitably qualified independent chairperson from a group of barristers specialising in town or village green applications. In response to Cllr Franks' comments, she said: "We will approach a number of counsel... firstly I suppose [to] ask them about their availability. "The very nature of their role is they are independent anyway and further to that... we are acting then as the registration authority. "I don't see how else we can overcome a perceived perception of not being impartial." Ms Ham went on to add: "We will have a procurement set up for all of our matters when we need to instruct a barrister so we will probably select somebody from that list. "They will be an expert in that particular area and they will understand the need to be impartial in making recommendations to the committee." The Church of England in Wales was disestablished under The Welsh Church Act 1914 and its property and funds were distributed to various trusts. Each of these trusts, overseen by councils in the areas they correspond to, look after the property and funds and make grants for a wide range of purposes including supporting education, social and recreational facilities, charities, healthcare and the arts. Article continues below Vale of Glamorgan Council's website describes The Welsh Church Act fund in the county as a charitable trust that's independent of the council. The Charity Commission's website has Vale of Glamorgan Council listed as the sole trustee of Vale of Glamorgan Welsh Church Fund.
