Anger at tower plan for Howells redevelopment

THE latest plans in a scheme to redevelop a historic part of Cardiff city centre show that it could include a large 11-storey redbrick tower block.

- TED PESKETT Local democracy reporter

(patel taylor)

Plans to redevelop the former Howells department store in St Mary Street into apartments, offices, restaurants and bars were revealed in 2023.

Parts of the project, including the restoration of the 200-year old Bethany Chapel, have already been approved.

However the final phases are yet to be given the go-ahead.

A new document on the design of the project, recently published on Cardiff council's website, shows what the 11-storey building proposed for the middle of the site could look like.

Cardiff Civic Society objected to the plans earlier this year, saying the proposed new building would “dwarf the adjacent listed buildings”.

Howells has a history in the capital’s high street stretching back to the 1860s.