Confidence in Swansea soars as regeneration story unfolds

COMMENT Thanks to a multi-million-pound regeneration story that is unfolding across our city, there is a real feel-good factor in Swansea at the moment. As artists’ impressions and conceptual fly-through videos are transformed into reality, the city’s confidence is growing like never before. This is partly because of public sector-led intervention in our city centre over recent years, which is creating a vibrant, mixed-use destination that is well-placed to quickly recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. Major schemes in Swansea include our flagship £135m Copr Bay phase one district, with construction due for completion later this year. This development includes a 3,500-capacity indoor arena, which will be able to host light shows and potentially promote upcoming events, thanks to 95,000 LED lights being installed around the outside of the development. Creating a new, iconic view in Swansea, the arena will complement other features of Copr Bay phase one, including space for leisure and hospitality businesses, new homes, hundreds of new car parking spaces and a landmark bridge. Also forming part of the scheme is a 1.1-acre coastal park and a living wall, which further support an on-going drive in Swansea city centre to considerably cut our carbon footprint through the introduction of more greenery and biodiversity. Carbon-zero development This is the case for other developments in the city centre too, including a state-of-the-art office development that will soon be taking shape at 71/72 The Kingsway. Providing space for 600 jobs in the tech, digital and creative sectors, this carbon-zero development, once complete, will feature a green roof, solar panels on top of the building, underfloor heating and heat recovery systems to minimise energy use. Its construction will follow on from a £12m transformation of The Kingsway’s public realm and environment into a greener, more pedestrian-friendly destination for business that has already catalysed private sector investment. This includes a forthcoming “living building” featuring an urban farm, affordable homes and workspaces, as well as a scheme to transform the city’s historic Albert Hall building into a music and entertainment venue. Housing We are also continuing to work with the private sector to create more housing in Swansea city centre, which is important in terms of the footfall and spending it will generate. As well as accommodation for thousands of students, this also includes the creation of more affordable, private and rental homes for residents and professionals in our new city centre. Meanwhile, other on-going work soon to be completed includes a £3m improvement scheme in the city centre’s Wind Street, helping transform it into a café quarter for food and drink businesses. A re-greening of the nearby Castle Square in the heart of the city centre is also planned to generate a more pleasant destination for city centre workers, families and other visitors, along with a major investment in our thriving indoor market – the largest facility of its kind in Wales. Research shows that many city centres in the UK, including Swansea, can no longer solely rely on retail as they did in the past, if they are to thrive. This is why we are transforming the city centre into a mixed-use destination that includes many other uses as well as retail, including entertainment, leisure, food and drink, housing, greenery, offices and events. This strategy has been supported and welcomed by a range of partners, including our businesses, our two universities and the private sector as part of a “Team Swansea” approach that has already secured unprecedented investment in our city. Digital infrastructure programme As well as major investment in new developments and our city centre’s public realm, we are also heavily investing in Swansea’s digital infrastructure. This is partly due to the Swansea Bay City Deal’s digital infrastructure programme, which will give businesses access to the kind of high-quality connectivity they will need to thrive, while also supporting our “smart city” ambitions. Our story doesn’t end there. A number of schemes are now planned to further boost city centre footfall and generate even better links between our city centre and the nearby, world-class waterfront. These schemes include Copr Bay phase two, which could include a public sector hub for hundreds of workers, as well as a number of redevelopment sites that enjoy stunning views over Swansea Bay. Swansea is changing in so many ways for the better. Rob Stewart is leader of Swansea Council