Latest plans to transform the centre of Swansea with a series £750m developments, including a new seafront district, have taken a major step forward.
Swansea Council has confirmed a 20-year partnership agreement - following preferred developer status last September- with Manchester-based regeneration firm Urban Splash, who will now take forward the projects and secure private sector backing.
Early ideas for each site have been proposed, which will now be worked up in more detail before undergoing public consultation, include:
- Transformation of the 23-acre seafront council office Civic Centre site into a new waterfront district for the city. A mixed-use destination anchored by the beach is proposed, with new homes and a leisure and hospitality focus. Other proposals include a new walkway to the beach and a mix of permanent and seasonal uses and events to create an all-season visitor destination;
- New office buildings, new apartments and shared workspaces on the 5.5-acre Swansea Central North site located at the former St David’s Shopping Centre site.
- A residential-led regeneration of a 7.5-acre riverfront site in St Thomas is also proposed, featuring family homes, apartments, new public spaces and a new terraced river walk providing direct access to the river for the first time in over 150 years.
Leader of Swansea Council, Rob Stewart, said: We have delivered a new Kingsway, an improved Wind Street, Copr Bay and Swansea Arena over the past five years. Castle Gardens, the Palace Theatre, Albert Hall and a number of other key regeneration schemes are also in progress, but now we need to move up another gear to the next level of reimagining our beautiful city. This is why we will be redeveloping these key sites across Swansea to create more business, leisure and living opportunities.
“I’m delighted to have a world-class partner in Urban Splash, who will help us realise these opportunities. We’ve already been hugely impressed with their passion, dedication, and vision to help the council deliver the kind of modern, thriving city centre and waterfront the people of Swansea deserve.
“The planned regeneration of sites including the area around St Mary’s Church known as Swansea Central North and Civic Centre site are going to be something really special and unique, building on the work we have already done around Copr Bay and the arena.
“As well as creating high-quality new leisure, living and retail and office space, the proposed transformation of these key sites will generate thousands of well-paid jobs for local people.
“Urban Splash is a company that’s delivered some of the most imaginative and iconic schemes in the UK, so we’re delighted to have signed this £750m partnership agreement which will take our city to the next level.”
Jonathan Falkingham co-founder of Urban Splash, and a former Swansea resident who attended school in the city, said: “We are very much looking forward to progressing our partnership with Swansea Council, applying almost three decades’ experience in regeneration to create a world-class environment which fuses the city’s historic fabric with new, sustainable architecture, with the objective of establishing Swansea as one of the UK’s most healthy and liveable cities.
“Creating the best places is more than just about buildings – it’s about local people. Urban Splash are keen collaborators, and we can only breathe life into new places by working closely with those local communities, local businesses, entrepreneurs and the creative community. Swansea Council have already demonstrated their ambition for the city and we are delighted to be joining them and the wider community on the next step of Swansea’s journey.”
