New doubts have been raised over Cardiff’s most high-profile office move, after a Welsh quango began considering listing the former BBC Cymru headquarters, Broadcasting House.
The BBC has expressed “serious concerns” over the potential listing, which would affect the main building at the Llandaff site and could present a serious hurdle for the corporation’s 150,000 sq ft move across the city.
Cadw – the Welsh body charged with protecting historic buildings in Wales – is considering listing the block, which is the main element of a site being marketed by Lambert Smith Hampton.
The site covers 10 acres and is expected to pull in between £10m and £20m for the BBC. But if the Dale Owen-designed building was listed on architectural grounds, it could throw development plans for the site off course, with potentially serious repercussions for the economic case for the BBC’s move.
BBC Cymru has now shortlisted three locations: Rightacre’s Capital Square, Network Rail’s parcel of land to the south of the Central Station, and Aviva’s Cardiff Waterside.
As revealed by Estates Gazette last year, Rightacre is planning a £400m financial and professional services district at Capital Square in conjunction with Cardiff council. A move by the BBC to Rightacre’s or Aviva’s sites would be expected to trigger a wave of regeneration.
BBC Wales said: “We can confirm that we have written to CADW in response to a letter they sent us seeking our views on their proposed listing of our entire main building in Llandaff. We have a number of significant concerns about their plans which we hope CADW will now consider carefully.”
Cadw has yet to comment.
chris.berkin@estatesgazette.com
