Plans to transform a bank and a vintage shop at Cardiff's Queens Arcade have been approved by Cardiff Council. LS Cardiff Holdings Ltd has been granted permission to convert the Halifax bank and Blue Rinse Vintage clothes shop into spaces for "food and drink purposes" as part of a broader effort to regenerate the once-popular shopping destination.
Most units currently vacant
Planning documents state that the "vast majority" of Queens Arcade is now vacant, with only a few tenants remaining, including Blue Rinse Vintage on the ground floor of Major Retail Space 1 & 2 and Halifax on the ground floor of Units 10a & 10b. The documents note that Halifax intends to move to the nearby St David's shopping centre.
While the plans reference "proposed restaurant units," the specific type of restaurant that will occupy the spaces has not been disclosed.
Regeneration vision for city centre
The application says Queens Arcade's high vacancy rate and deterioration currently detract from the vitality and viability of the city centre. It argues the proposal will boost footfall and help transform the arcade into a more attractive place to live, work, and visit. The site is described as highly sustainable, with strong connections to transport modes and easy access for both city residents and those travelling from surrounding areas using active travel.
The proposal forms part of a wider vision to repurpose Queens Arcade, supporting regeneration and enhancement of the city centre as a whole.
Concerns raised by church
Concerns have been raised about the planned restaurants. Directly across from the development is the 800-year-old St John the Baptist Church. The church's priest, Sarah Jones, wrote to the council expressing worries about potential noise from the restaurants affecting the church.
She wrote: "St John's welcomes the development of the city centre and understands the intention to create an environment which is welcoming and with good hospitality. We simply need to point out that if the noise levels increase from their current levels, the city of Cardiff will lose something very precious. St John's is a place of peace in an ocean of noise."
Planning documents add that the proposed development forms a key element of the wider vision for repurposing Queens Arcade, enhancing the vitality, viability, and attractiveness of the arcade and Cardiff city centre as a whole.
