Final cost of major road scheme still unknown years after completion

Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter

The final cost of a multi-million-pound upgrade to a key city street completed years ago is still not known.

Swansea council reconfigured The Kingsway and some adjacent roads to become two-way instead of one-way or part one-way as part of a wider upgrade of the city centre thoroughfare.

Preparatory work began in 2017 and the switchover to two-way traffic happened in July 2020 following delays which were mainly due to the original contractor, Dawnus Group, entering administration in 2019.

Pavements were also upgraded and widened and trees planted along with other landscaping work.

It was one of the first big city centre investments by the new Labour administration post-2012 and helped create the foundations for a future council project – a large office block called 71/72 Kingsway – which recently opened and was part-funded via the city deal for the Swansea Bay city region.

Council budget papers from 2015 cited The Kingsway upgrade – a report in 2018 indicated it would cost just over £12m. Part of the funding came from a £4.5m European regional development fund grant.

Although the switchover for traffic took place in 2020 expenditure stretched until 2023-24 according to budget papers including a sum to renovate a former Barclays bank building next to 71/72 The Kingsway.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service submitted a freedom of information request asking the council what the final cost of The Kingsway project was and what its share of it was along with final costs of other big city centre schemes namely the Copr Bay development, the revamp of the Palace Theatre, the 71/72 office project, and the new Y Storfa central library and services hub.

These schemes are all complete or nearly complete. Delays have beset the multi-storey car park at Copr Bay after contractor Buckingham Group went into administration in 2023 but it’s expected to open in a couple of months.

The council’s response said the final costs of the schemes weren’t yet known. “The projects are either ongoing or have been materially completed but final accounts have not yet been settled and final financial figures have not yet been confirmed or recorded,” it said.

“Once final cost information becomes available it will be published through the council’s usual reporting processes.”

The council didn’t say when work ended on The Kingsway when asked by the Local Democracy Reporting Service but added: “We remain in discussions with the contractor regarding The Kingsway final account and therefore are not able to provide this information at the moment.”

The Kingsway had been two-way before being altered to accommodate so-called bendy buses which operated between Swansea’s Singleton and Morriston hospitals. They ran between 2009 and 2015 and meant The Kingsway was one-way in one direction and two-way in the other. Tragically two people died after being struck by buses while crossing the road in 2013 and 2015.

The council installed barriers on the central reservation as a safety measure ahead of changing the layout to what it now.

Although it’s only a single lane in either direction for vehicles compared to two lanes previously it’s more welcoming for pedestrians and cyclists.

A member of staff at music venue The Bunkhouse, which backs onto The Kingsway, described it as a “100%” improvement. “It’s looks much better, and much safer,” he said.

“It was very good work,” said a member of staff at furniture shop Living Concept, The Kingsway. “The pavement is nice and parking for customers is good.”

An employee at Greek Flavours restaurant said he reckoned the layout was convenient for people including bus passengers and the greenery and wide pavements “help a lot”.

But Linda Hurford, director of Chic & Elegant Bridal Wear, The Kingsway, felt the pavements were too wide. “I don’t think we needed it,” she said. “There’s so much seating and greenery that don’t get used and I think the road is too narrow.”

Councils use grants and borrow money to finance capital projects like The Kingsway one. Income they receive from the sale of assets also goes into the pot, as does some revenue funding.

Swansea Council said it operated a strict governance process for all capital schemes. “There are regular programmed meetings with contractors to address progress, risk and budget,” it said.

“A detailed update of each scheme is discussed internally with senior officers from across the council at monthly board meetings and monthly meetings with cabinet members.

“Any issues that arise are discussed directly with senior officers and cabinet members to ensure accountability and visibility. Any deviation from an approved position is reported back to cabinet for direction and decision.”

It added: “Contract and project management is resourced with technical experts and all schemes are audited to ensure compliance. This includes post-project reviews which are carried out to support continued improvement.”