Stood tall at the head of Cardiff’s Queen Street is a commanding statue of Aneurin Bevan, the Welsh NHS stalwart guarding the gateway to what used to be one of the city’s most well-to-do thoroughfares. Once made up of shopping centres, department stores, and nightclubs the almost-half-mile-long high street was considered one of the busiest in the UK.
People would be bussed in from all over to admire the shoes in Dolcis, try and keep up with the latest new-age technology at the largest Dixons in the country, or – at one time – spend the day at the Capitol theatre.
The street was a hubbub of activity, a key part in the redevelopment of Cardiff as a modern-day city, a place people wanted to visit. But now, nearly 50 years since it was fully pedestrianised, Queen Street has changed. As the city grew around it, dwarfed by shopping centres and high-rises, it fell behind.
Read more: Cardiff's canal quarter: how it looked in the past, what's there now, and the exciting future
And while footfall is still strong, for the most part, it’s used increasingly used as a way to get from one side of the city to the next. Shoppers intermittently pop in and out of businesses as they pass but few have a specific reason to be there. In perhaps the clearest sign of what has become of the street while Mr Bevan still casts his eyes over Heol Y Frenhines these days he adorns a crown of seagull droppings, guards a palace of empty units, and his prised piazza is stained with chewing gum.
And his surroundings show little to no signs of the grandeur of yesteryear. To his right he is met with a boarded-up shopfront that was most recently a dessert parlour. Two doors down, past the bargain shop, are two more abandoned units that were previously clothes shops. Fortunately he has had better fortune on his left-hand side with a Starbucks coffee shop and Tui travel operator still showing signs of life.
But what has turned the tide of the street? After all Cardiff is a growing city, and Queen Street hasn’t moved – it still sits pointedly in the centre. So why is it cowering in the shadows of its neighbours in The Hayes and Mill Lane, both of which are still thriving?
A waiting game
Walking down Queen Street the atmosphere is not one of abandonment. The street is still busy, even on a Tuesday morning. People shuffle along from Queen Street station, ducking into shops and shopping centres along their way. Buskers' dulcet tones fill the air and people sit on benches and outside cafes in an alfresco fashion – eating, waiting, watching.
But perhaps that is it – the street has a feeling of waiting. As if the people of Cardiff are waiting for it to return to its former glory. Waiting for another boom to rejuvenate energy into the district. And with several developments in the pipeline for the street maybe hope is on the horizon.
As with so many other things the coronavirus pandemic went a long way to decimating high streets across the UK and Cardiff's Queen Street was no exception. I n December 2020 Topshop announced they would not re-open their huge three-storey store in St Andrews Buildings in the centre of the street. A department store that filled it lasted less than a year.
In that time it was announced that the adjacent unit Zara would also be leaving the building in favour of a larger site at St David's shopping centre. In August 2022 River Island also left, downsizing from two branches in the city to one – again in St David's. The 90,000sq ft building now lays dormant.
Recently luxury fashion and beauty retailer Flannels has been rumoured to take over the huge building, combining all three sites into one flagship store. The retailer already has a site in Churchill Way off Queen Street but reportedly is looking to upsize. But is a designer retailer really enough to bring people back to the street?
'When that changed it disappeared altogether'
Further down, near the Capitol shopping centre, the amount of building work going on would make passers-by think the city is being completely re-thought. And they wouldn't be far wrong. Hidden behind boards construction is well under way on Cardiff's Canal Quarter. The project will see the dock feeder canal, funded by Cardiff council, return to the city.
The plan is set to see the opening up of the canal, a new green public space with rain gardens in place to manage surface water drainage, outdoor seating, and an amphitheatre-style outdoor performance area. It's also set to create a new district in the east of the city interlinking Bridge Street, David Street, Charles Street, Tredegar Street, Guildford Crescent, and Barrack Lane to develop a "high-density, mixed-use development, attracting homes, hotels, hospitality, high-quality offices, leisure and retail units," according to the local authority.
And, while the plans don't mention Queen Street directly, due to its geographical location it's ludicrous to think it wouldn't have an impact on the street. But for some people revisiting the past may not be a bad thing. Ken Burrows, 74, worked in Queen Street in the 1960s and says it is a "ghost town" compared to its former life.
Speaking in the street in front of the huge Kingdom of Sweets unit the former researcher remembers the days when the canals would run through the city and when Queen Street was open to traffic. "T his was a main thoroughfare for everything and Churchill Way was an estuary going right the way through to the other side," he said.
"Back in '63 this was a double road, a very busy road. [Kingdom of Sweets] was Dolcis, a shoe shop, and a big arcade going right the way through to the other side where Argos is based at the moment [inside Queens Arcade]. You had the traffic and that really shifted when they changed it to one-way. When that changed it disappeared altogether."
While it would seem hard to believe now until 1975 Queen Street was open to vehicles. Traffic initially flowed in both directions before a one-way system was introduced. Cars and buses would drop keen shoppers near firm favourites of the past like British Home Stores or Woolworths before the packed pavements and road was paved over by patios.
And although this meant that people could roam the shopping district freely many feel it was the start of the end for shopping on the street. Now the nearest car parks that serve Queen Street are either in the Capitol Shopping Centre or an NCP carpark in Greyfriars Road. The latter directs pedestrians to the middle of the street and was recently voted the second-worst in the city. For those opting for the bus Greyfriars Road or Castle Street are the nearest options.
Ken thinks that pedestrianisation may not have been the correct decision in the long run and says it has added to the "tattiness" of the street. While it could undoubtedly could be worse he is right that the street is a world away from the shiny flagstones that once adorned it – unsurprisingly so after decades of footfall.
He also thinks that for Cardiff to be able to compete with other European cities work needs to be done to improve Queen Street, which remains as one of the main thoroughfares in the city. He said@ "It’s very much changed. With it pedestrianised it’s quite tatty. We’ve been to Holland a lot and their main street, every day it’s swept, it’s clean, it’s washed. You have a look at the state of [Queen Street] – it’s not touristy.
"Look at the pavements – they’re up and down. And with all the shops shut down, the people who are in the doorways and such, well, it doesn’t to me give Wales a name of tourism and a welcoming place. I love Cardiff, I’d never move anywhere else, but it could do with a bit of updating – it isn’t the place I grew up in.
"I think it’s just becoming a ghost town. It's very sad to see what was a vibrant city losing its shops, losing its people, and getting tatty. It hasn’t got a presence that when you come in you think: 'Wow, this is nice'. You go to some cities, Manchester, Birmingham, their city centres are vibrant and clean. You look around you here and it’s filthy."
Ken believes that for the street to enjoy the success and appeal that it once did there needs to be enough appeal to draw young people in though big-brand shops, many of which have left the high street recently, and more focus on tourism. He said: " You need the youngsters coming in. Because they're the spenders – like they did in the 60s when you had all the dancehalls, Top Rank, Tito's nightclub. Where's the place for youngsters now? It isn’t to me a place you come now because there isn’t the shops."
'When people hear how much the rent is, and the rates, they run away'
Speaking to businesses along the street it appears that rates are one of the biggest issues facing attracting new traders. Business rates are set by the Welsh Government and are collected annually by local authorities. They are charged on things like shops, pubs, and other non-domestic properties.
Muhammad Saedd Rehman has owned Phone Mania at the bottom of Queen Street, opposite the Capitol shopping centre, for seven years. At the moment there is an empty unit next to his. Peering through the glass the unit is tiny, no bigger than most people's living rooms, but for a fledging small business could be the perfect spot.
Muhammad says there has been a lot of interest in the unit – while we speak somebody comes in to inquire about the price – but once would-be traders hear the cost of renting on the street, and the rates, they "run away". He thinks that addressing these issues would attract smaller independent businesses to the street, but also give larger chains an incentive to stay. Stepping out of his store he is met with three empty units including one which used to be home to lunchtime giant Pret A Manger.
He said the Pret used to have queues out the door with almost every seat occupied. Last year they shut up shop, focusing on their other two outlets in the city. He says that if big names aren't able to survive on the street then what hope do smaller businesses have? "Queen Street, especially this end, it’s sad – so many shops have closed." he said. "River Island has moved out recently, 02 has gone. The saying is: 'Look at the phone shops – if they have left the high street then it’s declining.'"
The former 02 shop further up the street is a sorry sight, emblematic of the declining trade on the street in general. "This store is now closed" read boards blocking any sign of the building behind it. "If the bigger chains are closing then imagine the pressure on us," said Muhammad. To put the price of rentals in the street into context the 02 branch – which is a comparatively small unit – is currently being advertised as £125,000 rent per annum.
"I owe around one year of rent but I am still trading," Muhammad said. "We have just renewed the lease. It’s very difficult for smaller traders like us – we’ve got employees to pay. But we are running. We have some cash flow – we are running something here."
Muhammad says that for the street to thrive as it once did there needs to be a mix of independent businesses and large brands. While there is currently a fairly even mix in the street he worries that with large brands leaving the image of the street will change and attract fewer people.
"Ultimately what’s going to happen is smaller private companies are going to take over the smaller units in the street – but the high street needs a mix of independents and brands. All smaller shops will change the look of the street. But to be honest I think it’s already happened. You walk past the high street and half of it is empty. I think Queen Street is almost dead – especially this end up to the middle. More than half is empty.
"But if you look at all those empty units, and inside Capitol shopping centre, they’re all empty. I have heard that there is a plan for some restaurants and bars to maybe go in there but I am not sure."
The plans that Muhammad refers to are ones to redevelop part of the Capitol into a huge food court comprising of more than 14,500 square feet across two units previously occupied by Spiffing and Poundworld. Launched in 1990 the Capitol centre initially thrived, helped by the main draw of an H&M, but the flagship clothing store was replaced by Poundworld in the early 2010s. The key space now lies abandoned. In March this year there were 16 empty units and 21 in use comprising sites from a bubble tea shop to salons to a phone repair store. But Muhammad doesn't think a food court will necessarily be enough to revive the street and thinks more effort should be made to fill empty retail units to "keep the shopping street alive".
'We've been broken into five or six times'
One of the biggest problems facing the street consistently brought up by traders is anti-social behaviour. Earlier this year a freedom of information request by WalesOnline found that in the 12 months to December 31, 2021, Queen Street received the most anti-social behaviour reports in the city. South Wales Police say they currently have a number of operations running in the city centre, including Queen Street, to tackle this.
Nevertheless Muhammad says he has been broken into several times over the seven years he has occupied a unit in the street. He said: "The biggest problem we are facing is that out shop has been broken in to five or six times over the last seven years. The antisocial behaviour is having a very negative effect on the street. The overall environment here isn’t good because of it. They are impacting the business."
A few units along Yogesh Patel, who owns The Beauty Lounge, says he has the same problem. He has operated a shop in Queens Arcade, an indoor shopping centre further along the street, for a decade but took over an on-street unit previously occupied by Office shoes five months ago.
He says he has had more trouble in that short time than he did occupying an indoor unit. "We’ve been in Queens Arcade for 10 years and have had no issue with security but since coming here we have already been broken into. So we’re frustrated security-wise when it’s the city centre.
"There’s not enough police, not enough cameras covering all areas. Police closed our case saying that they can’t take any further action because they can’t identify the person. Security is the issue. After 6pm this gets mental. Drunk people p***ing around everywhere, fighting, and then there's the theft. And if the city centre doesn’t have that security where else can you expect it? With businesses paying thousands a month there is not enough cameras or police."
According to crime data from Police.uk over the last three years antisocial behaviour is the highest reported crime in the Cathays ward, which covers Queen Street. Antisocial behaviour aside Yogesh says he is pleased he invested in a second shop in Queen Street but, like Muhammad, says the cost of rates is a struggle. He said: "This street is very expensive at the moment and I think the biggest problem is that the rates are so high. Landlords are okay to rent it out cheaper but it’s the rates that are a killer. The biggest hurdle is the rating system. The rates are valued on a long time ago and it doesn’t reflect the real value of the property."
Since opening in Queen Street, like businesses on high streets up and down the country, Yogesh has had to make adjustments to his business to make ends meet. In his store not only can you buy beauty and hair products but when we visit one person is getting their nails done. He said that services used to make up 20% of his business model but this is now more like 50%.
"Footfall is there but spending habits have changed. People now come in store, look at the product, and then find it online. That never happened before. Obviously we can’t beat online prices every time but most of the time we do. The cost is just so high to run a brick-and-mortar shop."
The Debenhams affect
While Queen Street is an entity in its own right it's impossible to underestimate the impact The Hayes and St David's shopping centre has had on it. One thing which has had an effect not just on the street but on the city itself is the closure of Debenhams. The 244-year-old department store closed its doors in the capital in May 2021.
Accessed through St David's Centre, or off Hill Street via Queen Street and Charles Street, Debenhams was once a must-stop in the city centre. As a result it brought people to adjacent streets such as Queen Street. Over the 18 months since the doors closed nothing has yet replaced the unit.
Relaxing on a bench on the street best friends Elizabeth Atkins and Jackie Mason say their trips to the capital from the valleys have changed since the closure. "It was a big disaster for us because we spent a lot of time in Debenhams. We’d spend a couple of hours in there so it was a big blow, " said Elizabeth.
"It’s starting to pick up again but it’s not what it was years ago. You do notice the empty shops. When we first started coming down here this was the street to go shopping. It’s not like that anymore."
Graham Dickenson echoed their sentiments. He has lived in Cardiff all his life and still travels into the city centre once a week or so to "see what's going on". Through these regular trips he has seen the landscape of the city centre change. He said: "Every shop was taken – shops were everywhere there were no empty spaces at all. We’ve got to the point now where everywhere is shutting – I’m not sure if they can’t afford the rates or what.
"I’ve seen a lot of changes – I’ve lived here all my life. There’s been a lot of changes, especially regarding new buildings going up and things like that, but I do still come into Cardiff to see what’s going on."
He said that as a "Cardiff boy" he wants to see the city thrive and do well but thinks too much is being invested by developers into building high-rises and he would like to see investment on the high street itself. " I think the positives are that the shops are still open but there are too many big buildings being built in Cardiff. Just look around and you see empty spaces and I don’t think they’ll ever get bought myself," he said.
'It hasn’t lost everything'
While there's a lot of scepticism about the future of Queen Street, especially from those who have lived through the "glory days" as they call them, hope hasn't been complete lost. Visit at the right time and you'll be met be families, some of the city's most famous faces, and tourists all happy to be there. In winter the street is adorned with Christmas lights and as the rain lashes off the shiny pavement it's almost easy to put the empty units and antisocial behaviour out of your mind.
If one person can sum up the atmosphere on the street despite its evident problems it's Chrissy Thomas. Rushing along with her two daughters, all in Cardiff City football jerseys ahead of that night's game, the mother is more than optimistic about the future of what was once Cardiff's prime retail space.
She said: "There is a change [from what it was] but it’s still really popular which is nice. Shops come and go and you think it’s going to get a bit quieter but you can see for yourself it’s still very popular. It was lovely on the weekend with Pride and events like that are amazing and really promote the city centre.
"The nice thing about Cardiff is that we are quite diverse – we’ve got lots and lots of shops. We’ve still got the old buildings and the history of Cardiff so although it’s lost a bit of what it was it hasn’t lost everything." When asked what she thought about the future of the street, and whether it would survive the changing retail climate, she said: "Absolutely. Everything is here – you’ve got every type of shop. Supermarkets, little shops that you might just pop in and have dotted around Cardiff, like Wilko and that. I think Cardiff is going to be fine."
The view from police and politicians
The issue of Queen Street is not just a challenge for retailers with South Wales Police, the local authority, and others all having a key stake in its future. On the issue of crime Cardiff city centre police inspector Darren Grady said: “We have a number of antisocial behaviour (ASB) operations running in central Cardiff at the moment covering both Queen Street and St Mary Street aimed at tackling all forms of ASB from drunkenness to those who travel into the city centre as beggars.
“We work in close partnership with outreach agencies, the local authority, and For Cardiff to improve the situation. One of the strategies we are currently discussing with Cardiff council is to implement a public space protection order in the city centre. This gives officers the power to deal with the drinking in the street. This would deter a number of those who come into the city centre for that purpose.
“Another issue we have been addressing on Queen Street is enforcing a byelaw which prohibits cycling on the street. We are taking a problem-solving approach with the local authority to improve signage and educate cyclists. However we have also given out a significant amount of fixed penalty notices to cyclists.
“We ask that the community work with us to tackle ASB and if you see or experience any anti-social behaviour then please report it to us. Too often we are seeing ASB incidents appear on social media that have not been reported to us. We can only investigate and take action to identify the perpetrators if we are made aware of the incident. The best way to ensure that is for members of the public to report any incidents to us in the first instance. This will give us the best opportunity to take action against those causing and committing ASB offences. We urge members of the community to report any incident of ASB that they witness as that information will help us to investigate the cause of the issue and minimise the risk of it happening again.”
A Cardiff council spokesman told us: “The council is working on a plan to re-open the dock feeder canal in the city which runs off Queen Street. The new Canal Quarter should help create a thriving new district in the city centre bringing a real focus to surrounding businesses and helping to increase footfall in the area.”
With regards to rates and support for small businesses a Welsh Government spokesman said: “We appreciate how difficult recent years have been for businesses. Through rates reliefs and grant schemes we provided more than £2.2bn of support during the pandemic including 100% relief for most retailers. In the current financial year our rates relief schemes are supporting more than 85,000 properties across Wales with their bills. The package includes £116m of relief targeted at businesses in the retail, leisure, and hospitality sectors.
“As we continue our economic recovery it will be crucial to find a balance between ensuring revenue is collected to fund the local services we all use and securing a fair and sustainable contribution from businesses. We are in the early stages of reforming non-domestic rates, for example through more frequent revaluations. We will also undertake a review of our rates relief schemes to ensure they’re delivering support in the most effective way. As we consider further reforms we will work closely with business representatives as we seek to achieve a fair, sustainable system.”
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