New footbridge over seawall planned

Richard Youle Local Democracy Reporter

Community councillors are backing a proposal to install a footbridge over a gap in a seawall which has permanently altered the landscape behind.

Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton Community Council said a footbridge in north Gower would reinstate “an amazing path” with wonderful views.

The centuries-old Cwm Ivy seawall divided reclaimed pasture land on one side and the salt marsh and Loughor Estuary on the other and was part of the Wales Coast Path before it was breached following a stormy winter in 2013-14.

Salt water flowed through the gap at high tides and the pasture land began to be transformed. Pine and willow trees which had grown there died but new life took hold and around 96 acres of land returned to its pre-seawall state.

The coast path was diverted and bird hides were installed at either side of the recreated tidal marsh but there have been calls to reinstate the route along the seawall and also to rebuild the damaged section.

Feasibility

Swansea Council, which is responsible for rights of ways, is now looking into the feasibility of a footbridge spanning the gap.

An engineer and ecologist have been commissioned, it said, and specialist tidal surveyors are to be appointed as small sections of the seawall and embankment behind may have to be removed if the scheme was taken forward.

“We anticipate that surveys can get under way before the end of the year and expect the process to continue through to the summer of 2026,” said a council spokesman. “Once this is completed, we will be able to determine if the proposal is feasible.

“If it is, we aim to work with Natural Resources Wales to acquire a marine licence to enable the bridge to be installed.” Funding options would then be explored.

The National Trust is responsible for the stretch of north Gower coastline in question and previously decided not to plug the seawall hole as part of an approach to let nature takes its course. It hasn’t commented on the council’s footbridge proposal.

Support

Llangennith, Llanmadoc and Cheriton Community Council wrote to Natural Resources Wales earlier this year outlining its backing of the footbridge idea.

“There is a lot of local support for its re-installation as it was an amazing path to walk along, on an impressive and historic structure, and very different from the rest of the coastal path, it also offers wonderful views of the marsh,” it said.

“We would very much like to see the footpath reopened with the installation of signs explaining the importance of the salt marsh, which would also go some way to helping local residents understand why the seawall wasn’t repaired in the first place, as many of them fought for.

“We would be very grateful if this project could be supported by Natural Resources Wales.”