Watkin Jones has taken a major step forward with plans to deliver a new 33-storey co-living development in the heart of Cardiff after receiving a resolution to grant planning permission for the scheme.
The proposed tower on Custom House Street, located close to Cardiff Central Station and St David’s Shopping Centre, will transform a long-vacant city centre site and create a significant new residential destination aimed at meeting changing housing demands within the Welsh capital.
Formal planning approval is expected later this summer, subject to the completion of a Section 106 agreement.
The development represents a fresh vision for a site that has remained undeveloped for several years. An earlier proposal for a 42-storey purpose-built student accommodation tower secured consent in 2016 but failed to progress amid changing market conditions and evolving demand patterns. In response, Watkin Jones redesigned the scheme as a co-living development, reducing the overall height while creating a product more closely aligned with current urban living trends.
Once complete, the tower will provide 400 fully furnished co-living studios supported by a range of shared amenities, including communal kitchens, dining spaces, resident lounges, fitness facilities and landscaped social areas.
The scheme is intended to cater for young professionals, graduates and smaller households seeking flexible, professionally managed accommodation within a highly connected city centre location.
Co-living developments have continued to gain momentum across major UK cities as developers and local authorities explore new ways to address housing demand, affordability challenges and changing lifestyle preferences. The model combines private living space with extensive shared amenities, creating community-focused environments designed to appeal to modern urban residents.
The approval also strengthens Watkin Jones’ growing presence in Cardiff. The developer recently celebrated the practical completion of Tai Afon, the first phase of its wider Central Quay regeneration project, which is transforming the former Brains Brewery site into a major mixed-use neighbourhood.
With Cardiff continuing to attract investment, new residents and businesses, the Custom House Street development is expected to play an important role in supporting the city’s ongoing growth while bringing a prominent vacant site back into productive use.
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