Changes announced to major regeneration project

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

A £28m regeneration project has been altered and will now focus on just one location rather than the three originally planned.

The project’s three elements were essentially to regenerate the former Hafod-Morfa Copperworks by the River Tawe; expand Swansea Museum including a new cafe; and create retail units at Victorian railway arches on The Strand, improve pedestrian connections, and also install two Tawe pontoons.

It all sparked into life with a £20m Levelling Up Fund grant from the UK Government in 2023. The council contributed a further £8.7m.

A cabinet report from 2023 said the three-pronged Lower Swansea Valley Programme, as it’s known, would create jobs, boost footfall, and rejuvenate heritage buildings. Although challenging it was felt to be deliverable, although construction costs have risen since then.

The report said: “Over the last 40 years the assets within this scheme have had a lack of investment, in particular Swansea Museum.”

It added: “The project will mix new income generation opportunities with struggling heritage assets to give them a new lease of life and sustainable long-term futures.”

At a recent cabinet meeting council chiefs agreed in a closed session to re-profile the project to focus the funding on the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks area.

Minutes from the meeting said the re-profiled project would outline plans to continue progress with the Swansea Museum and The Strand elements with other funding.

The wider Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site has benefited from investment in recent years – thanks in part to a National Lottery grant – and in February this year planning permission was granted to the council to restore two former engine houses there. Land close by is where a base station for the Kilvey Hill Skyline leisure attraction will be built.

Re-profiling

Asked to comment on the cabinet decision and how much of the £28.7m has already been spent, a council spokesman said re-profiling expenditure for major projects was normal, especially complex ones involving historic structures.

“To date funding has been used on detailed design work and site investigations for improvements at the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site,” it said.

“Physical refurbishment work is due to start there in the coming months. Design work has been completed for the Swansea Museum, River Tawe links and The Strand tunnels elements of the overall programme.”

He said the Lower Swansea Valley Programme was due for completion by March 2028 although some elements would be finished before then.

Asked if the council had secured or applied for other funding for the museum and The Strand parts of the project he said: “Alternative funding sources are being actively pursued but we are unable to disclose any more than this at this stage.”