If you've been out for a stroll in the sunshine along Swansea Prom this week - or you've popped out for a spot of breakfast, lunch or a drink in one of the many, brilliant cafes and restaurants in Mumbles - you're sure to have noticed an unusual sight on the beach: construction workers in huge JCBs and diggers excavating the sands.
Fortunately, there's no cause for alarm and their work has been planned and approved for quite some time.
The excavation works taking place are part of a multi-million pound major project improving the sea defences in the area, which was approved a year ago. Over the next 18 months, different sections of the promenade will be closed to the public at different times as workers build more than a kilometre of new sea defences along the bay, which will ultimately help protect local residents, businesses and homes at risk of rising sea-levels and flooding.
Whilst residents and visitors will still be able to access their homes, businesses and other venues in the area throughout the mammoth "Sea Defences Project" - which will also see new lighting, litter bins and seating installed along the Prom, as well as improvements to local road links to Mumbles - the construction work will inevitably affect people when they visit the beach or walk along the prom on days when work is taking place.
Fortunately, Swansea Council and the main contractor have agreed that construction works being carried out next to businesses based on the prom will not take place during the peak tourism season. And, though construction noise is likely, the vast majority of the work is planned to take place during the daytime, so it shouldn't interrupt anyone's sleep at night.
The works have been arranged following extensive consultation with the public and will also include "more space for pedestrians and cyclists" and "greater opportunities for relaxation". Contractors are expected to set up a base near the Oyster House Hotel, with the project itself taking shape between Knab Rock slipway and Oystermouth Square, a distance of around 1.1km. You can keep up to date with the latest Swansea news by signing up to the local newsletter here.
What works are happening and why do they need to be done?
As we have reported previously, a 1.1km stretch of the seawall and revetment between Knab Rock and the Dairy car park, by Oystermouth Square, will be strengthened and raised by up to 70cm, and the promenade will be widened with new lighting, new play areas and extra seating introduced. The epic project will also see road links to Mumbles improved and more than 40 trees planted.
WalesOnline understands the work will be done in "100m sections" and the new sea wall will offer a "one-in-200-year standard of protection against coastal flooding". A planning report on the project previously explained that this protection also had an allowance built in for climate change up to the year 2070.
Last year, council officers explained that the upcoming works were needed as the current sea defences were in "desperate need of improvement". "If nothing is done, they [the sea defences] will fail and Mumbles will suffer from flooding," one council officer told a Swansea Council planning meeting, whilst Cllr Des Thomas added that the new sea wall would be "an opportunity of a lifetime" for Mumbles and that widening the promenade would be particularly useful given the regular conflict between cyclists and pedestrians there.
The council also said at the time that some of the existing defences were in a poor condition and that 'doing nothing could put a number of homes and businesses at risk of flooding'.
Swansea Council's cabinet member for environment and infrastructure, Andrew Stevens, explained previously: "With help from the Welsh Government’s coastal risk management programme, we're addressing both the condition of the Mumbles seawall and the community's long-term flood risk. Visual improvements to the area will create a greener, sustainable and attractive waterfront - an asset to the local community and an attraction for visitors.
"The improved sea defences will protect homes, businesses and leisure areas from the effects of rising sea levels for the foreseeable future. The aim is to be sensitive to Mumbles as a seaside visitor destination while protecting people and property. In line with the public's wishes, it will reflect the area's heritage and culture, will improve biodiversity and will allow cyclists and pedestrians to use the same exceptional prom space – and share with care. There'll be improved lighting, more litter bins, more seating – and quality materials will be used.
"Trees will be protected. The project will make pedestrian links between the prom and Mumbles Road businesses much better. Separately, we’ll take a close look at how Mumbles Road can be made safer – and that may include a cycling route for those who wish to reach their destination quickly."
Welsh Government Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, added at the time: "As we address the climate emergency, I am pleased to be providing Swansea Council with 85% of the funding for these works. Coastal communities must adapt to rising sea levels and this scheme will help do just that, by improving the flood and coastal erosion protection to around 130 properties in Mumbles. The works will also provide wider benefits by promoting the sustainability of the community and securing well-being objectives."
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