Supporting planning and community engagement in Wales

Over the past few years, our team has worked alongside planning consultants, community engagement agencies, and clients to support outreach initiatives across Wales.

Development of National Significance (DNS)

Many of these projects fall under the category of Developments of National Significance (DNS) due to their large infrastructure nature and national importance. When considering whether to become involved in such projects, our key priority is always whether the development will leave Wales a better place if approved.

Our expertise and focus are often centred outside the M4 corridor, where sustainable development – when carried out in consultation with local communities – can provide maximum long-term impact.

Local Policy and Innovation Partnership (LPIP)

The work aligns closely with our research-arm, Arsyllfa Cymru: Rural Observatory, where we explore key rural issues. As the private sector lead for the Cymru Wledig LPIP Rural Wales, a £5 million UKRI-funded programme delivered in collaboration with Aberystwyth University and a broad range of public and voluntary sector stakeholders. We remain committed to ensuring that planning and development projects contribute meaningfully to rural communities.

St David’s 2, Cardiff City Centre – a milestone in Welsh urban development

While our passion is rooted in projects outside the capital – where development, when carried out in consultation with local communities, delivers long-term benefits aligned with the well-being economy – our expertise spans all of Wales, and we recognise the significant impact of major urban regeneration projects.

We couldn’t overlook a milestone for one of the first major projects our senior consultant worked on over 15 years ago, transforming Cardiff city centre. Since then, many developments and business relocations have clustered around what’s now known as St David’s 2.

St David’s 2, a £675 million transformation project played a pivotal role in reshaping Cardiff city centre’s economic landscape. Developed by Land Securities, it added nearly 1.4 million square feet of retail space, occupying a third of Cardiff’s city centre. The development catapulted Cardiff into the UK’s top shopping destinations, creating more than 1,500 jobs. The Grand Arcade alone, the main shopping mall within St David’s, is so vast it could fit 29 double-decker buses! The project also included the construction of a new, award-winning library and a public art scheme. Once open, it welcomed 1.3 million visitors in its first week and 36 million visitors in its first year, generating an average of more than £1 million a day.

Pre-planning approval and community engagement

Our experience working with a multi-agency team on the St David’s 2 planning process, underscored the importance of engaging a wide range of stakeholders across the community and throughout the process. This included:

• Integrating the Welsh language into the development process through dialogue with interest groups.
• Prioritising accessibility by consulting representative organisations.
• Ensuring the development complemented Cardiff’s historic Victorian and Edwardian shopping arcades while introducing John Lewis as an anchor tenant in a way that supported continued trade to small businesses.

Social impact beyond construction

Beyond its physical infrastructure, St David’s 2 has had a lasting social impact. Through Landsec Futures, a £20 million social impact fund, the company has partnered with Cardiff-based charities Ahead Partnership and SAFE Foundation to provide education programmes and skills development opportunities for disadvantaged communities.

To date, over 1,500 local people have benefitted from education and employment programmes linked to St David’s, creating nearly £1 million of social value for the Cardiff community.

Looking forward

As we continue to support projects that contribute to Wales’s future, we remain committed to ensuring that developments – whether in urban centres or rural communities – create meaningful, long-term benefits.

If you would like to discuss how we can support your project – whether a Development of National Significance, a rural initiative, or an urban regeneration scheme – get in touch with us at post@sgema.cymru.