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- 30th October 2008
Cardiff City Guide
Population and Landmark…
Cardiff is the capital and the largest city and county in Wales. As well as being the political capital, it is Wales's capital of business, education, sport, tourism, culture, media and government. According to recent local government estimates, the population of the Cardiff area is 317,500 people.
Cardiff is home to the Welsh National Assembly. In the early 1900s, the city was one of the great power-house of the British Empire, exporting large amount of coal and steel. When these industries died, in the end of the 20th century, Cardiff lost the majority of its economic activities. However, with the help of the EU and the British government, new employers have moved to the city, and Cardiff has now more to offer than ever before.
Economy…
As the capital of Wales, Cardiff is the main engine of growth in the Welsh economy.
The city is today the principal finance and business services centres in Wales, and as such is a strong representation of finance and business services in the local economy. This strong representation of finance and business services in the local economy combined with the Public Administration, Education and Health sectors, have accounted for around 75% of Cardiff's economic growth since 1991.
Cardiff is part of the Eurocities network of the largest European Cities. The city was also recently placed 7th overall in the top 50 European cities by the Foreign Direct Invester Magazine.
Office Space Rental Levels…
Many property agents have been surprised from last year’s record on office space takes up in Cardiff. Half way through 2007, the figures were 20% down compare to 2006. In the second half of 2007, the takes up were boosted by several reasonably sized deals, making the final 2007 figures exceeding half a million square feet. The City has managed to attract some big name companies such as Admiral Insurance and the National Audit Office.
Following the success of 2007, property developers have announced new development in the city in order to respond to the high demand of office space in the Welsh capital.
PMG Estates, commercial property developers, are going to develop 91000 sq ft of prime office space at Trident Park, Cardiff Bay, as a gateway to the Ocean Park business site. In addition, to respond to respond to the tight meeting room space available in the city, and to hopefully drive down costs for local businesses, several serviced office space operators as well as hotel have recently opened additional meeting rooms.
Transport…
The M4 is the principal motorway in the region that connects Cardiff with Bridgend, Swansea and Carmarthen to the west, and Bristol, Swindon, Reading and London to the east. The total distance from Cardiff to London is 133 miles; the total drive time between the two cities is on average two hours and 25 minutes.
Cardiff has a comprehensive bus network providing a vast majority of destinations in the city, as well as Newport, Penarth, Barry and Cardiff International Airport.
The airport is located at Rhoose, 12 miles southwest of the city centre. It currently handles about 1.5 million passengers annually, with a capacity for 3 million. The airport offers flights to all major UK and European cities. A typical flight between Cardiff and London would have a flying time of about 16 minutes.
The main rail companies for long distance cross-country services to and from Cardiff are First great Western and Virgin Trains. The main rail station in the city is Cardiff Central, Central Square.
The Tourism, Attractiveness of the city…
Cardiff is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United Kingdom, recording above 12 million visitors a year. Cardiff Castle is one of the main attractions of the city. Founded in the Roman times and developed into a stronghold by the Normans, the ruins of the Norman keep remain and attract thousands of tourists every year.
Another famous attraction, located on the hallowed turf of the former Cardiff Arms Park, is the Millennium Stadium. The 74,500- capacity stadium is one of the most modern sports venues in Europe and welcomes thousands of visitors every year. The Millennium Stadium also doubles up as a venue for other concerts and events such as motorsport's World Rally Championship as part of Wales Rally GB, with the first ever indoor special stages of the World Rally Championship.
Cardiff will play a part in London 2012 Olympics games, thanks to the $1.4 billion International Sports Village in Cardiff Bay.