A new multi-storey car park made up of more than 900 spaces will be built in Cardiff Bay.
Cardiff Council’s planning committee approved plans for the seven storey high development, which will be located on the Red Dragon Centre car park opposite County Hall, at a meeting on Thursday.
It forms part of the wider masterplan to redevelop Atlantic Wharf which will include the construction of a new 15,000 capacity indoor arena, a hotel and new public square.
Plans for a hard surfaced car parking area made up of 73 spaces was also approved by the councils planning committee.
Two of the main concerns raised about the plans were the impact on traffic and the loss of trees.
Cllr Helen Gunter, who represents Butetown, said she was not happy about the potential impact that the development could have on traffic, especially for local residents who live on Galleon Way.
She argued that under the proposed arrangements, residents living on the road would struggle to access their homes whilst the car park is in use.
Galleon Way is accessed by the roundabout that’s located in between County Hall and the application site. Drivers accessing the multi-storey car park will also need to use this.
However, Cllr Gunter also stressed that she was not totally opposed to the development and suggested that further solutions should be looked at to address the issue, like sensor triggered traffic lights.
There are also concerns from residents about a proposed coach drop off point that was initially proposed as part of the development.
However, one planning officer told committee members this was being reviewed with the the developer and that it likely won’t be going ahead.
Martin Smith said: “Even if it does…I don’t think the impact will be quite as significant as feared by the residents.”
He added that the council has got management options that can be utilised, like providing spaces for egressing vehicles of residents on Galleon Way.
Cllr Peter Wong, a member of the planning committee, also raised concerns about the loss of trees that would result from the car park developments.
Planners at the council said 27 trees will be removed. However, 50 new trees are proposed to be replanted in mitigation of the loss.
One change to the development will be its colour scheme, which will go from silver to bronze in order to align with the design of the indoor arena.
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