Cardiff's new bus station design revealed

The new design of Cardiff's future bus station has been released.

The Welsh Government has paid Cardiff Council £15m as part of a deal to develop the hub in Central Square.

Work on the Metro Central Interchange which includes a 14-stand bus station, 300 rental flats and office space will start next week.

Cardiff-based architect HMA replaced globally renowned Foster and Partners, but the development for 2020 completion is based on "original design concepts".

The Welsh Government recently bought the site from the council for £12m. It also paid £3m for rights to the preparatory work already done, including designs and transport planning.

The bus station will be one of the first infrastructure projects run directly by the Welsh Government's not-for-profit subsidiary Transport for Wales.

Welsh economy secretary Ken Skates said the Welsh Government wanted to create a "world-class" integrated metro transport system that would "be a spark for inclusive economic growth right across the wider region".

He said the Cardiff interchange was key to this goal, which is why it had bought the site.

"Proactive Welsh Government support of this kind to stimulate strategic transport interchange sites and help attract wider investment is a model I'm exploring in other areas of Wales, too," he said.

The project is being delivered by the Metro Delivery Partnership which is made up of the Welsh Government, Cardiff Council, developer Rightacres and Network Rail.

The Metro Delivery Partnership has also submitted proposals to the UK government asking for financial support for an upgrade of Cardiff Central railway station.

Its other transport-related project plans include a new 700-space multi-storey car park, a taxi rank and a coach station as part of Rightacres' Central Quay scheme on the Brains Brewery site, south of the railway station.

There will also be 500 cycle spaces north of the railway at Central Square.