Callaghan Square ( cy, Sgwâr Callaghan) is a large public plaza in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, previously known as Bute Square. It was developed as part of a

Private Finance Initiative The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 199 ...

(PFI) scheme to link central Cardiff with

Cardiff Bay Cardiff Bay ( cy, Bae Caerdydd; historically Tiger Bay; colloquially "The Bay") is an area and freshwater lake in Cardiff, Wales. The site of a former tidal bay and estuary, it serves as the river mouth of the River Taff and Ely. The body of w ...

History

Cardiff Bay was developed in the 1990s. A new public square and new link road,

Lloyd George Avenue Lloyd George Avenue ( cy, Rhodfa Lloyd George), originally known as Bute Avenue, is an avenue in Cardiff, Wales. Roughly one mile long, the road links the Inner Harbour of Cardiff Bay to Cardiff city centre and forms part of the A470 road. It ...

, were conceived by the

Cardiff Bay Development Corporation The Cardiff Bay Development Corporation was set up by the United Kingdom Government on 3 April 1987 to redevelop one sixth of the area of Cardiff to create Cardiff Bay. Objectives The Secretary of State for Wales, Nicholas Edwards set out the C ...

(CBDC), using a PFI scheme that will cost taxpayers £189 million over 25 years. There was a commitment to provide at least 356,000 sq ft of commercial office space. Initial stages were completed by October 2000 (when Lloyd George Avenue was officially opened).Case Study: Lloyd George Avenue and Callaghan Square
, Partnerships UK. Retrieved 2012-04-05. When CBDC was wound up in 2000 the project became the responsibility of the Welsh Development Agency. Initially named Bute Square, in 1998 the development had been considered as a location for the new home of the

National Assembly for Wales The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English language, English and () in Welsh language, Welsh, is the Devolution in the United Kingdom, devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes ...

. It was rejected because of the risks associated with a complex PFI scheme. There were also concerns the site would be too small and dominated by traffic. In March 2000, there was a three-month suspension and review of the project, in which Bute Square was one of three alternative locations considered; the preferred location continued to be in Cardiff Bay next to the

Pierhead Building The Pierhead Building ( cy, Adeilad y Pierhead) is a Grade I listed building in Cardiff Bay, Wales. One of Cardiff's most familiar landmarks, it was built in 1897 as the headquarters for the Bute Dock Company. The Pierhead Building is part of th ...

, which became the

Senedd The Senedd (; ), officially known as the Welsh Parliament in English and () in Welsh, is the devolved, unicameral legislature of Wales. A democratically elected body, it makes laws for Wales, agrees certain taxes and scrutinises the Welsh Gove ...

building. A statue of the John Crichton-Stuart, 2nd Marquess of Bute was relocated to Bute Square in 2000. The statue was originally created in 1853 and stood in front of the old town hall. A new commercial office scheme was also developed on the square by property company MEPC. The first phase, a 145,000 sq ft office building completed by 2002, was named ''No 1 Bute Square''. On 1 June 2002 Bute Square was renamed Callaghan Square in honour of former

UK Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet and selects its ministers. As modern pri ...

(and Cardiff South and Penarth MP) Lord Callaghan.''Bute Square renamed after Callaghan''
Walesonline (Expats Newsletter), undated. Retrieved 2012-04-05.

Future developments

In January 2011 it was announced that Callaghan Square could become the site for a new convention centre. In March 2011 a report revealed plans to re-route the roads and junctions surrounding the square, possibly replacing the Herbert Street railway bridge, removing the road to the north of the square and adding a dedicated bus lane. The work was expected to start within 12–18 months.

References

{{coord, 51.4753, -3.1740, type:landmark_region:GB, display=title Redevelopment projects in Cardiff Squares in Cardiff Infrastructure completed in 2000