Student scheme on site of former cinema to move forward

Plans to demolish a historic cinema on a prominent road in Cardiff to pave the way for a major student accommodation scheme are set to move forward.Applicant Bonnes Mares Ltd is seeking permission to demolish the former Gaeity Cinema on Cardiff’s City Road and replace it with an eight-storey, 114-bed student block.The application, which is recommended for approval subject to conditions, also includes provisions for commercial units on the building’s ground floor, and 148 cycle spaces for residents and their guests.A planning document prepared by professional services firm WYG said that the cinema, which opened in 1912, is in need of redevelopment.A number of objections have been received to the proposal, including one from MP Jo Stevens on the basis that the area is already saturated with student accommodation.The building was a cinema until 1961 when it became a bingo hall. In 2001 it reopened as The Spin, a bar and bowling centre before closing in 2006.Cardiff Council’s planning committee will make a decision on the application on Wednesday 26 February.