Watkin Jones has received planning approval for a 400-unit co-living development in Cardiff city centre, paving the way for the regeneration of a long-vacant site on Custom House Street.
Cardiff Council has approved the proposal, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement. Formal planning consent is expected to be issued later this summer.
Valued at £40m, according to construction data specialist Glenigan, the scheme occupies a prominent location close to Cardiff Central station and the St David’s shopping centre. The development will transform an underused city-centre site into a purpose-built rental community aimed at meeting growing demand for flexible urban living.
The project will provide 400 fully furnished co-living studios alongside a range of shared amenities designed to support community living. Facilities will include communal kitchens and dining spaces, resident lounges, fitness facilities and landscaped communal areas. Ground-floor co-working accommodation is also planned, reflecting changing patterns of work and increasing demand for integrated live-work environments.
Watkin Jones is developing the scheme, with Rio Architects responsible for the design.
The developer said the project is intended to address demand for professionally managed rental accommodation among young professionals and smaller households in the Welsh capital. In addition to increasing housing supply, the scheme is expected to contribute to wider regeneration activity within Cardiff city centre through public realm enhancements and increased footfall for surrounding businesses.
The approval follows the recent completion of Tai Afon, the first phase of Watkin Jones’ Central Quay development in Cardiff, which reached practical completion last month.
Watkin Jones planning director Iain Smith said: “Bringing this co-living scheme forward marks an important step for a prominent site in the heart of Cardiff that has been vacant for a number of years.
“It reflects the strength of demand we continue to see for high-quality, professionally managed rental housing, and how our pipeline is evolving to meet changing living preferences. Custom House will provide much-needed city centre living for Cardiff, while also making a significant contribution to the ongoing regeneration and wider economic activity in the city centre.”
The latest approval further strengthens Watkin Jones’ presence in Cardiff, where the developer has continued to expand its build-to-rent and residential-for-rent portfolio as demand for professionally managed urban housing continues to grow.
