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Author Topic: Local businessman proposes ^1m 'Cardiff Parkway'  (Read 10045 times)
IanC
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« on: April 30, 2009, 18:30:42 »

Taken from Today's South Wales Echo:-

Quote from: SW Echo
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 (United Kingdom). 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^.
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devon_metro
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« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2009, 19:16:55 »

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.
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6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01
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« Reply #2 on: April 30, 2009, 19:28:27 »

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.

plus you walk out of cardiff central station and you are greated with a bus station whats the point in building this they already have it! i mean yes it would create jobs! but couldnt this be done alot cheaper by just building a carpark with a park and ride to cardiff central?
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Btline
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« Reply #3 on: April 30, 2009, 19:55:20 »

Not another "Hub"!  Roll Eyes

How can he say a parkway station encourages use of public transport like buses? Doesn't he know what a PARKway station is? Roll Eyes

And how would this checking in for Heathrow airport work? I can think of many reasons (including: security/bombs etc; lack of areas on trains to put checked in luggage separate to the main guard's van; dwell times at station increasing; people having to turn up at the station ages before, luggage having to be transferred to the HX or the RailAir coach with getting lost.....) why this would not happen!

It would make FGW (First Great Western) expresses slower.

It would encourage green belt development.

It is a bad idea.
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6 OF 2 redundant adjunct of unimatrix 01
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« Reply #4 on: April 30, 2009, 20:08:47 »

he can build a ''park way at tavistock if he wants  Cheesy
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John R
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« Reply #5 on: April 30, 2009, 20:18:02 »

Hmmm. Whilst I have always thought that a station somewhere between Cardiff and Newport would be a good idea (and I went to school in the area, so I do understand the geography), this strikes me as cloud cuckoo land.

As an example, " You could turn up here, park your car, and be in Cardiff Airport in 15 minutes".
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welshman
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« Reply #6 on: April 30, 2009, 20:40:11 »

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

John R is right.  I detect aerobatic pigs.

ATW (Arriva Trains Wales (former TOC (Train Operating Company))) timetables Cardiff Central to Rhoose (the airport station) at 30 minutes and then there's a bus to the airport terminal.  Adding 6 miles to the journey cuts the time by half?  I think not.

The area between Cardiff and Newport is "No Man's Land".  Getting there rather than to Cardiff Central or Newport is no more convenient unless you already live there.  On the Cardiff side, you either go east on the M4 and turn back or go most of the way into the city and use Eastern Avenue or rat runs to the A48.  From the Newport side it's north and via the congested M4 or using the old A48.  Fiddly.

Then of course there'd be pathway issues in stopping every HST (High Speed Train).  The main line is 4 tracks so would need 4 platforms.  If it's only the local services on the relief lines which stop you'd have to change at Cardiff/Newport to get on the HSTs.  If you had to do that, it would be more convenient for most in the area to park and ride from the Vale/Barry/the Valleys into Cardiff Central.

I can't see it myself.

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« Reply #7 on: April 30, 2009, 21:06:08 »

investing money into a railway project which is destined to fail will just reduce the chances of decent and needed projects!
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Btline
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« Reply #8 on: April 30, 2009, 21:59:42 »

And it would probably be nearer 1 billion by the time it gets built!
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Shazz
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« Reply #9 on: May 01, 2009, 00:26:30 »

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...
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« Reply #10 on: May 01, 2009, 02:06:24 »

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...

agreed.. was there yesterday its in town its near the bus station for local links and great for the shops pubs even cinema, lots of local and national trains the station is clean and tidy decent facilitys why is money always thrown at things that are not needed and held from needed improvements?
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