Plans for major new golf attraction on hold

Plans for a major new golf attraction in Cardiff are now on hold after the firm behind it announced a restructure.

Cardiff Council announced early in 2025 that it planned to enter into a lease with Topgolf that would see the company take on the former Toys R Us site in Grangetown and turn it into a driving range.

However a report published by the council recently stated that the Topgolf owners, Callaway Golf Europe Ltd, are carrying out a restructuring of their business which includes the potential disposal of the Topgolf brand.

The report goes on to say: “As such the council has been unable to progress any arrangements with Topgolf until the future of their business is concluded.”

Cardiff Council recently announced a wider update on the International Sports Village (ISV) where the former Toys R Us site is located.

In the update the local authority said it planned to introduce new car parking charges at the old toy store, develop a new energy centre, and alter existing plans for new homes at Cardiff Pointe.

The developer behind the new homes, Orion Land and Leisure, is negotiating a partnership with another residential developer to deliver a greener scheme.

As for the proposed energy centre, Cardiff Council said it is intended to provide renewable energy for leisure facilities at the ISV and will require land to be built on via a lease.

The council said continuing to take on the running costs of the former Toys R Us building would create “significant unbudgeted pressure”.

In the report being discussed by council cabinet members on Thursday, July 10, the local authority added: “It is therefore proposed to enter a short-term (two years) lease with Orion’s new development partner for the former Toys R Us building with an option to extend on a rolling year-by-year basis to enable them to undertake their off-site assembly immediately adjacent to the site, reducing the carbon impact of their development.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the use of the building for off-site assembly will involve the production of panels for the Cardiff Pointe housing development.

Further details on a proposed contract for the energy centre scheme is enclosed in a confidential report.

Orion entered into an option agreement with Cardiff Council in September, 2023, to develop about 15 acres of land at the ISV.

Two planning applications, one relating to the outline plan for hundreds of homes on site and one for the first phase of the development, were put in by the company in August 2024.

Orion’s new partnership will see the first phase of the scheme deliver low-carbon, low-rise, timber-framed homes on site.

Cardiff Council’s cabinet report on the ISV update states: “Given the recent engagement of a new partner, Orion has now decided to withdraw their application for outline planning permission in advance of it being determined as the type of development will now move towards a lower-rise/lower-density scheme.

“Instead Orion and their partner will rely on the extant masterplan for Cardiff Pointe as the base masterplan for plots one to four and will bring forward detailed applications for each plot.”