Plans for a new luxury hotel in two of Cardiff’s most historic buildings are set to be given the go-ahead.
The listed old Post office and County Court in Westgate Street, near the Principality Stadium, are set to be transformed into a four-star, 175-bed hotel operated by the Celtic Manor Resort.
Developer Rightacres and the Welsh Rugby Union are behind the plans which are set to be approved by Cardiff council’s Planning Committee next Wednesday (August 14).
Cardiff planning officers have recommended councillors approve the plans.
If plans are approved the vacant post office and county court would be refurbished while a new-build six-storey extension would be built behind the historic building.
The developers say the new Westgate Hotel would have a “prestigious” entrance hall, one of the largest function rooms in Cardiff capable of seating 350 guests, a new bar and 120-seater restaurant facing Westgate Street and a leisure spa offering views across the city.
The Westgate Hotel would be a joint partnership between the WRU, which owns the county court which has stood since 1904, and Rightacres, which owns Parkgate which hosted the post office and was built in 1896.
Both the interiors and stone facades of the two buildings would be refurbished, while the spiral staircase of Parkgate would be replaced.
A total of 17 people have objected to the plans, while HM Courts and Tribunals Services, which uses the Cardiff Civil and Family Justice Centre next door to the site, has also raised concerns.
HM Courts and Tribunals Services has told the council about “the potential for excessive noise, vibration and dust to be generated during both the demolition and construction phases of the development.
“Mitigation will be required to avoid such matters affecting the Justice Centre operations and potentially damaging the building’s ventilation plant and equipment.”
HM Courts and Tribunals Services has also raised concerns about the development’s impact on traffic to the Justice Centre.
Its letter to the council said: “The access from Westgate Street is used primarily by the judiciary who require unencumbered access, mainly at the start and end of the working day, on foot and by vehicle.
“Security is the main concern in this regard, since members of the judiciary are at risk due to the nature of their work and are, from time to time, the subject of various threats of harm.”
If planning permission is approved the developers would be asked to pay £50,000 towards improving the footpath on Westgate Street.
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