The major population centers of Wales are currently in a state of constant flux.

Swansea, Cardiff and Newport changed their appearance a decade ago. Still, there are many events that seem to have dragged on for years.

We provide you with a list of all major new or current developments that are likely to be under construction.

Cardiff

Huge tower block planned for Wales’ top-performing school



Plans for the new building were submitted in January 2023 and are currently approved.

Planning permission has been granted for a massive student building in Cardiff. Part of it will reach 18 floors in parts. The building will serve as a boarding house for Cardiff Sixth Form, a leading independent school with 85% of its students.

Cardiff reveals more details of new main school to replace Cantonian High



Aerial view of Fairwater Community Campus

A major school project currently approved to redevelop the Canton High School grounds in Cardiff will not be completed in the 2026/27 school year in Fairwater. However, the plan calls for the demolition of existing school buildings, so we will likely see changes well before the scheduled opening date.

It will bring together three existing schools (Cantonian, Woodlands and Riverbank) and will be the largest project in the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Learning Communities programme.

Changes at Howells



Computer rendering of what a restored English Baptist chapel in Bethany would look like
Computer rendering of what a restored English Baptist chapel in Bethany would look like

The former Howells and House of Fraser department store will undergo changes in the coming years. Next steps include a proposal for partial demolition and provision of studios and flexible commercial spaces.

The recent application, which was approved, also covers the restoration of the Bethany Chapel and Sunday School, as well as the addition of additional floors to the Percy Thomas block on Wharton Street, as well as public land and infrastructure works. Plans show additional floors projecting over the building as seen from Wharton Street and Trinity Street, with large areas of the existing roof demolished.

Bus interchange



This summer, the bus station will finally open to visitors
This summer, the bus station will finally open to visitors

We could have written in this article every year for the last five years that we hope Cardiff bus station will open soon.

Although the building now dominates the skyline around Central Station, it is currently gone. The city has not had a bus station since 2015, but according to Transport for Wales, it will open in 2024.

Guildford Crescent



What a tower on Guildford Crescent would look like
What a tower on Guildford Crescent would look like

Another long and controversial saga. The closure and subsequent demolition of Gwdihw and restaurants Madeira and Thai House was a big deal for the city in late 2018.

Work is set to continue on the controversial 30-storey apartment block, which is a mammoth building four storeys taller than neighboring Bridge Street Exchange student flats, despite concerns over the building’s height, layout and accessibility. The tower will include 272 apartments, including 140 one-bedroom apartments and 132 two-bedroom apartments, which will be classed as “build-to-rent,” meaning none will be available for individual purchase. Instead, the apartments will be sold to an institutional investor and rented to future tenants. There is no confirmed completion date for the project.

Cardiff Bay Arena



New design proposals for the arena.

A new major events stadium planned for Cardiff Bay will now have a different look to that originally proposed. Cardiff City Council’s planning committee has approved an application to change the design of the 15,000-seat stadium and hotel planned for Atlantic Wharf. In addition to the changes to the appearance of the stadium, which will change the design from the “piece of coal” to a brighter building, the active traffic route in the territory will be expanded and a roundabout will be installed on the street. interface with Schooner Way instead of a priority intersection.

Central landfill



The proposed development of the Central Landfill.

The site of the former Brains Brewery is being redeveloped on Central Walk. It will include offices, residential and leisure facilities with housing comprising one, two and three-bedroom studios,

The development could also include the construction of a new footbridge over the River Taff to Grangetown, with the recognizable Brains chimney and brewery remaining at the center of the site. The entire project will take three years, but some big changes are already happening.

Swansea

71/72 Royal Path



Swansea Council has shared new computer-generated images that show us what we can expect from the exciting new office complex 71/72 The Kingsway once it is complete | In the photo: what the Kingsway complex will look like

Previously home to the city’s Oceana nightclub, the huge new 104,00 square foot office building aims to attract companies working in the digital, technology and creative industries, while the building will also have space for visitors to enjoy commercial facilities, a lounge for events and food and beverage areas.

New computer renderings show what people can expect from the building and what daily operations would look like. When completed, it will have enough space for 600 workers and will be worth £32.6 million to Swansea’s economy each year, the council said.

The old Woolworths on Oxford Street



The artist's impression of the project.
The artist’s impression of the project.

Since 2021, developer Hace Developments has sought to realize its vision of transforming the famous former store into an attractive “living building”, which will feature a new 12-storey tower attached to the former store, “extending” the building beyond Oxford Street. . to the rear of Picton Yard.

It will provide educational facilities, residential apartments, shops, offices and a courtyard and will be environmentally friendly with a biodiverse appearance with living (or biophilic) walls and roofs, as well as rooftop solar panels, battery storage and gardens.

New Oxford Street Community Center



What Y Storfa, Swansea's new community center, would look like when completed in late 2024
What Y Storfa, Swansea’s new community center, would look like when completed in late 2024

‘Y Storfa’ will house the main public library, the West Glamorgan Archives and various council and community services, and is expected to open in the “second half of 2024”. It is named after its former occupant, the BHS department store.

Newport

Newport Leisure Center



The leisure center will cost almost £20 million
The leisure center will cost almost £20 million

Work on Newport’s new state-of-the-art leisure center will continue after plans are approved in November 2021. The facility, costing approximately £19.7 million, is being built on developed land in Usk. form. It is close to downtown Newport. It was demolished in May 2023 and once completed, the center will include a swimming pool complex, a multi-purpose entertainment room, fitness facilities, health and wellness facilities and a rooftop garden.

Coleg Gwent Campus



An artist's impression of Coleg Gwent's new campus in Newport
An artist’s impression of Coleg Gwent’s new campus in Newport

Newport’s existing downtown is being transformed through a long process of demolition and asbestos removal. The center, opened in 1985, was considered “architecturally outdated and no longer conducive to[ing] has had a positive impact on the character of the surrounding area’ by Newport City Council’s planning committee after its swimming pool was closed permanently following the coronavirus pandemic.

While the building will primarily serve educational purposes, it will also include shops, restaurants, offices and a hotel.