Five-storey city centre office hub approved

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

A new five-storey public sector hub will be built on the site of a former shopping centre.

The ground floor of the development in Swansea city centre will be commercial space; the upper four floors offices. The building is due to be followed by others featuring shops, restaurants, flats and parking spaces at the former St David’s shopping centre between Oystermouth Road and St Mary’s Church.

Swansea Council’s planning committee approved detailed plans for the hub at a meeting on November 5. The wedge-shaped building will replace a temporary lawn at the demolished shopping centre and have a water-retaining roof with greenery on it.

Sophisticated

The committee heard it had gone through various designs and was now, according to architect Alex Flint, of Shed KM architects, lighter and more sophisticated.

The hub and the other buildings due to follow are known collectively as the Swansea Central scheme. It’s being driven by Swansea Council and development partner Urban Splash, which has also been chosen to redevelop the Civic Centre site and five other plots of land in or near the city centre.

Speaking at the committee meeting, David Warburton, Urban Splash’s lead director for Swansea, said: “Urban Splash continues to feel immensely privileged to work in such a great city.” The planned hub, he said, was high quality and had strong sustainability credentials.

Glare

Cllr Mary Jones asked if the south and west-facing sections of the building, given the large expanse of windows, might cause a glare and over-heating in the summer for office workers. She was told the windows had a coating which prevented this, and that in addition they could be opened and shut.

Cllr Phil Downing quoted a section of the committee planning report which said surface water run-off would be connected to the main sewer. This drainage arrangement, he said, was the “exact opposite” of those that normally came before the committee, and he wondered if it would set a precedent. A planning officer said using the existing sewer was the first option in this instance although he said he believed there was a separate drainage application. Welsh Water didn’t object, subject to drainage and surface water planning conditions being adhered to.

Speaking after the application was approved, the council said its staff and other public sector workers would occupy the upper four floors. This would enable the redevelopment of the seafront Civic Centre site. Work is expected to start on the hub in 2025.

Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The public sector hub will help generate more footfall in the city centre, which will boost our existing traders and help attract more investment in future.

“This is just one feature of an overall plan for the redevelopment of the former St David’s shopping centre site though, so we’ll continue to work with Urban Splash on other proposals for the site that will be announced as soon as they’re ready for feedback.”

St David’s Priory Church will be retained as part of the overall Swansea Central project.