Caerdydd
Steel buildings in Cardiff
Most of what we build around Cardiff is not on a farm at all: workshops, storage, trade units, garages and equestrian buildings on the edge of the city, with some farm work on the land to the north and west. The northern fringe, towards Pentyrch and Creigiau, is close to where the coalfield begins, so a site up there is worth checking on the mining map. Planning in a capital city is a busier, slower process than in a rural county, and it is worth allowing for that.
Buildings designed, supplied and erected by South West Steel Buildings across Cardiff, including Cardiff, Pentyrch, Creigiau, St Fagans, Lisvane and Radyr.
- Planning authority
- The council
- Cardiff Council
- Protected landscape
- None
- No National Park, AONB or World Heritage Site.
- On the coalfield
- At the edge
- Check the site on the mining map.
- Drainage approval
- The council
- Needed at 100 m² or more.
What to check first in Cardiff
Around Cardiff, most jobs are not agricultural, so start with the planning route: a workshop, store or trade unit needs a full application and full Building Regulations, and that takes longer in a busy city authority. On the northern edge, check the mining map. On the southern levels, the ground can be soft and wet, so ask about the formation before you price the slab.
Planning in Cardiff
The planning authority for Cardiff is Cardiff Council. There is no National Park in the area, so it handles every farm building's prior notification and every planning application.
The rules themselves are Welsh, not English — 465 m² on 5 hectares or more, a 28-day notice, no Class Q — and are set out in our planning guide for farm buildings in Wales.
The ground, and the coal
Cardiff: The edge of the South Wales coalfield runs through or near it, so a site towards that edge is worth checking on the mining authority’s map.
In the Mining Remediation Authority's Development High Risk Area, most planning applications need a Coal Mining Risk Assessment, and the pads may need a ground investigation first. The authority's guidance explains how to check a site.
The groundworks calculator works out the base for your own slope.
Drainage approval in Cardiff
At 100 m² or more, drainage needs SuDS Approval Body approval first — for Cardiff, Cardiff Council. Roofing an existing yard? See the £40/m² yard roofing grant.
Questions about building in Cardiff
Who decides planning for a farm building in Cardiff?
Cardiff Council, for the whole of Cardiff — there is no National Park here.
Is Cardiff on the coalfield?
The edge of the South Wales coalfield runs through or near it, so a site towards that edge is worth checking on the mining authority’s map.
Who approves drainage for a new building in Cardiff?
Cardiff Council, as the SuDS Approval Body for Cardiff, for anything covering 100 square metres or more.
Do you build in Cardiff?
Yes. South West Steel Buildings design, supply and erect buildings across Cardiff, including Cardiff, Pentyrch, Creigiau, St Fagans, Lisvane and Radyr.
Tell us what you want to put up in Cardiff
Rough span and length is enough. We reply the same day, wherever you are in Cardiff.