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A NEW station, 3,500 parking places and a 130-acre business park costing up to ^1bn could be built at St Mellons.

The station, dubbed the Cardiff Hub, would be built east of St Mellons and would replicate Parkways in Bristol and Didcot, serving thousands of commuters from across South Wales. As well as 3,500 car-parking spaces, the proposed development would include a bus station, check-in points for Cardiff and Heathrow airports, a cycle park and a business park, according to businessman Nigel Roberts, who is behind the scheme. Mr Roberts, who owns Paramount Office Interiors, believes the ambitious project would create hundreds of jobs and give people living in areas of high unemployment better access to work in the city.

He said: "This has the potential to attract overseas business and could really turn around some of South Wales^ most deprived areas. It would ease congestion in Cardiff and move people on to public transport, which are all things the Welsh Assembly Government is trying to encourage. Initially it might be more of a local service but eventually we would like to provide trains right through to London. It even has the potential to replace Newport and Cardiff stations as the main transport hub for Wales".

Mr Roberts is at the head of a consortium of businesses discussing the plans and says he already has options on 130 acres of land for the site. The plans for the Hub were drawn up by WS Atkins, the design and engineering giant behind some of the world^s most iconic new buildings, including the sail-like Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the world^s tallest hotel.

Mr Roberts explained: "We want to work with ambition in terms of architecture and landscaping. In terms of planning, this started three and a half years ago. We don^t need to knock a building down or relocate anybody and the railway line is obviously already there. We^ve spoken to all the landowners and they have been very supportive. We^ve also spoken to leading politicians, to Rhodri Morgan and Ieuan Wyn Jones, Jane Davidson and various people at the council. They are all supportive of it and want us to prove we can do it, so we^re currently gaining all the evidence for the economic and environmental case. You are going to be talking between ^600m and ^1bn in terms of cost and we have ambitions to open in 24 months".

The station and business park would be built on the Cardiff side of the Newport-Cardiff county border, south-east of St Mellons. It would spread across the northern and southern sides of the railway line, providing a station mid-way between the two cities. According to Mr Roberts, it would include two million sq ft of office space, a piazza, a hotel, shops and cafes for office workers.

Mr Roberts added: "The business park would be exemplar. It would be like nothing that we have seen in the UK. It would create its own energy and get rid of its own waste. We are looking at all the latest technology. We are also looking at having a check-in for Cardiff Airport and Heathrow. You could turn up here, park your car, get on a train and be at Cardiff airport in 15 minutes".

Coun Geraldine Grant, the Liberal Democrat councillor for the ward, said she had already seen the plans but insisted it would take at least five years to happen.

She said: ^At this stage it would be something I would welcome because it opens up possibilities for new business which would be greatly helped by a St Mellons station. It will be looked at along with all the other proposals. But there have been changes, not least with the economy of course, so you don^t really know".

Labour councillor Ralph Cook added: "It is some years away from a decision. I^ve long held a desire to see a railway line with a station there. I^m a naturalist so I am aware of the environmental issues but I think the economic advantages outweigh the relatively small environmental impact it would have".

An Assembly Government spokesman said it supported ^in principle this type of development^.

Cardiff Central and Newport are both well placed for the city centres and most people arrivng don't want to have to sit on a scabby bus!

Stupid idea.

As an example, " You could turn up here, park your car, and be in Cardiff Airport in 15 minutes".

Pretty poor use of money/an idea if i'm honest.

Being a cardiff resident, theres absolutely nothing wrong with the station we have now...