A guide to living in South Glamorgan

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

The area that Anchor Works is located in is fantastic for the proximity to Cardiff City Centre and Cardiff Bay. It is approx a 10 min walk to the bay and slightly over that to the City Centre. Public transport links are good with Cardiff bay station a short walk as too is Cardiff Central station. Regarding bin collections, there is a substantial bin area with all of the necessary bins for various types of recycling. Traffic noise isn't too bad. The road isn't majorly busy within the 2 weeks I have lived there.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Yes, most certainly. Any queries or issues I have had, the management have always been on hand. This has never seemed like an issue.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Make sure what size the bed is before buying you bedding as they very and my eye clearly isn't as good as I think!

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

There’s limited parking nearby and within which makes guests coming over a little tricky. The lack of bus routes going through Dumballs Road is also a little annoying even though there are multiple bus stops. I did contact Cardiff Bus about this and they said there’s no plans for any routes and that’s a bit of a let down for me.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Maintenance are great, they come out so quickly after putting in a request and are really helpful.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Everything was explained to us before we moved in so we had no shocks good or bad about Anchor Works once we moved in. The only thing I would say is there was no built in microwave so we had to buy our own. We definitely just missed that part ourselves though but would be a good thing to check before for anyone moving in!

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

A few little shops nearby, with limited options. Just a short walk to the bay and to the city centre. Parking availability is very limited.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Maintainance has responded to reported issues very quickly

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

lack of nearby parking - very limited amount on sight and if not arranged in your contract may be hard for guests/visitors

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

- 10min walk from central station one way, 10 min walk to Mermaid Quay in Cardiff Bay the other way. Ideal. - Opening of Morrisons bolstered access to daily shops for small stuff, alongside Coop at Platform and the shop the College too - Asda + Tesco + Aldi + Lidl all within 10min drive radius for big shops, ideal. - Restaurants are clustered around St Mary’s street which is about a 15min walk, easy. - Depot is opposite the street, ideal for mid-week and weekend gigs! - Open spaces is lacking in closest proximity by foot but the small stretch of riverside walking on the other side of Depot is lovely and does lead to the Bay Area which is probably your best bet for nature immersion aside from Bute Park near the Cardiff Castle - Not used public transport so cannot comment but I do cycle around. Dumballs Road is plagued by potholes, watch out. Between June 2026 - June 2028 there will be roadworks at Callaghan Square as you approach central station, expect an impact on commute times. - With the opening of the sitting space, it’s lovely on the roadside between Bute & Lloyds near the bus station - however there are no bins here which often means lots of litter for the poor maintenance folk to clean up. - Parking availability is very tight. Limited spots for residents, with a monthly parking bay overinflated charge of £200. Of them, a few have EV charging capabilities. Charging rates for EV bays are a rip off, non-competitive, and do not always work. At 62p/kWh for a 7kW outlet, we are forced to pay supercharger rates for trickle charge rates. One of the biggest pitfalls of the development. There is no movement on accommodating split rates for cheaper overnight charging meaning that per mile, it is comparable to fuel an EV as it is to fuel a petrol/diesel. This undermines the sustainable living value of the development. - Guest parking - non existent. Forced to park at Central Station multi story or outside the college is you’re lucky to find a spot. - Antisocial behaviour: there is a council housing area at the top of Dumballs Road which is often surrounded by those less fortunate. They’re always lovely but when under the influence they can come across aggressive or invoking concern. Some tenants actively avoid walking this stretch at night. - Traffic isn’t an issue unless approaching the Callaghan Square area due to roadworks - Local area is a historic industrial site. Expect views of warehouses, demolition sites, construction sites, work sites, etc. dominating the view to the West up to the river. It is slated for massive rejuvenation and development but that’s in the years to come. If you can look past that, the skyline is beautiful and expansive as AW have 2 rooftop terraces that get a stunning view of the Cardiff & Bay skylines, with Penarth Pier and sometimes Devon in clear view! - Warning: there is an ongoing uncertainty around Council Tax banding. It was advertised at the point of tenancy agreement that the 2-beds would be a band E. The reality was band F. That’s an extra £63/month. It has been challenged. Was a little slow to get the ball rolling with full AW support but it’s in motion. It is still unresolved. For those with strict budgets, account for this.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

Another shout out to senior management. It’s not easy running a residential development of this size. They’ve been approachable, willing to hear our concerns, and provide updates to slow burning requests or complaints. They’ve been open, honest, and hard working. Keep it up guys! Feels good knowing that you’ve got our backs as residents. Unresolved issues: - settlement on Cardiff council banding issue - transparent EV charging rates reduced to be more competitive

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Depot across the road is loud in the evenings sometimes in week days too Football pitch behind the property is almost constantly in use and games get passionate and loud! Charging rates for EVs do not benefit from split rate or domestic rates - price comparable to petrol/diesel card per mile

Please tell us about the good and bad aspects of living in your local area:

We’re really happy with the location. Having a shop downstairs is very convenient for picking up everyday essentials, and the town centre is only around a 10 minute walk away, so we have plenty of shops and places to eat nearby. The transport links are also really good, with buses and trains within easy reach. There is also a tram currently being built, which will eventually provide a link towards Cardiff Bay, so we’re looking forward to having that option available as well. The local area is generally nice and convenient, with everything we need close by. The bin area is kept clean and maintained by the Cleaners. As for traffic noise, it really isn’t a problem for us. The area is generally quiet, especially at night. You can hear the occasional car going past, but it’s never been an issue or disturbed us.

How has the building management responded to any problems or issues you have raised:

The building management have always been really helpful and responsive whenever we’ve raised an issue. Any problems we’ve had have been dealt with quickly, and the maintenance team on site are usually very quick to come out and fix anything that needs attention. We feel reassured knowing that if something does go wrong, there is always someone available to help and get it sorted.

Please share one thing (or more) which you wish you had known before you moved in:

Honestly, there isn’t anything in particular that I wish I had known before moving in. We asked a lot of questions before we moved, and the staff were really helpful in answering everything and explaining things clearly. We felt well informed from the beginning, which made the move much easier. I’d definitely recommend asking as many questions as you need to before moving in, as the team are always happy to help.