Floating homes on Cardiff Bay should it be considered

My walk around Cardiff Bay and crossing the Barrage was interesting, or the Docks to us older and former members of the community was refreshing on a beautiful bank holiday morning. The tide was coming in along the Bristol Channel and no longer up the River Taff and it was beautifully misty but you could not see England. It was a while since I been down the Bay. So I do tend to see the changes.

As I scanned the horizon around the Bay, it was all samey a community of flats or apartments it sounds better the latter. The only bit from my childhood are Grade II listed sea front houses of Windsor Esplanade. They were built when coal was king, and for sea merchants and captains when Cardiff was a major seaport.

Windsor Esplanade

Sitting eating an ice cream looking out n to the water and I felt something was missing but what! Really I could not put my finger on what it was, and strolling about was not helping and then just before heading home it came to me, I had a eureka moment! I was soaking up the Bay before we caught the bus and I watched a boat docking at the moorings and it came to me like a bolt of lightning. There is a community around the Bay but how about on the Bay itself not even sure, if the Cardiff Bay Authority has discussed it? But why not.

A row of floating homes near to the Norwegian Church I believe would be an asset to Cardiff Bay. I am not thinking of narrow boats or barges but a mixture of homes designed to live in on the Bay. With a number barrages in the planning or under discussion it would be an attraction for others and visitors. The Bay being non-tidal but a giant lake as an advantage.

Could they be built here

Below you can see the neighbourhood of IJburg in Amsterdam and some of the many different housing being used on this growing population. It’s out of necessity in the Netherlands (Holland), to build on the water has building on land is very pricey. Much of the land was reclaimed from the sea and below sea level protected by a series of sea dikes and canals.

I reckon any such venture on the Bay would soon be snapped up buyers and must be lived in not some holiday homes or Airbnb. Maybe the Cardiff Bay Authority could have a competition to design the development. However, I was told there was a by law which live on boards are not allowed on Cardiff Bay.