Companies House is the latest government organisation to desert Cardiff city centre, as the Welsh Assembly implements Lyons-like recommendations to relocate public sector jobs to poorer locations.
Companies House, which presently occupies more than 100,000 sq ft in Cardiff, has decided to take a 40,000 sq ft call-centre building called Axys House at Nantgarw, near Pontypridd, which the Welsh Development Agency bought for £6m from BT last year.
Cardiff-based Welsh historic monuments body Cadw has also recently signed for a 25,000 sq ft HQ at Nantgarw, while the Welsh Assembly is in talks with developers to build 55,000 sq ft of overspill space in Merthyr.
Another Welsh Assembly organisation, Welsh Health Estates – which occupies 50,000 sq ft in Cardiff city centre – is also set to move out of the city when its lease expires at Churchill House, Churchill Way, in the next two years.
King Sturge Cardiff partner Huw Thomas said: “It would appear the Welsh Assembly has decided to make efforts to regenerate areas of Wales by moving its major office requirements out of the city.”
A Welsh Assembly spokes-man said: “The assembly government is working to the mandate that all new functions will be based outside Cardiff and south east Wales.”
