New transport hub proposed as part of major city redevelopment

Richard Youle, Local Democracy Reporter 

A new transport hub is being considered as part of a wider plan to guide future development across the area, along with potential improvements to the main railway station plaza and nearby shopping arcades.

The proposed public transport hub in Swansea would orientate east towards the River Tawe – where several schemes are under way or planned – and be a stone’s throw from the railway station, whereas the city’s main bus station is just under a mile to the south west.

A council report described the transport hub, market and shopping arcade ideas as “indicative-only concept at this stage” – meaning it’s very early days – and added that other “regeneration interventions” were being explored.

The wider draft document they’re part of is what’s known as a placemaking plan which will steer regeneration and investment over the next eight to 10 years.

This draft plan divides a large central area of Swansea into five zones – the waterfront, incorporating Swansea Marina all the way to the Civic Centre; the core city centre; an area called Tawe waterfront, including a plot of land across the river; an area called city north, incorporating St Helen’s road; and a fifth area further north called upper High Street, Dyfatty.

The thrust of the plan is to sustain Swansea as a regional destination, generate footfall with what the council report described as a “critical mass of key occupiers”, have a thriving retail core with leisure options, more people living in the centre centre and working in good quality offices, and a layout making it easier for people to walk and cycle from place to place.

A new parking plan and cultural strategy are being looked at separately – and a new “cultural quarter” is considered to have potential.

The report before a council scrutiny panel said more than 800 people had taken part in engagement about the draft placemaking plan and that an online survey had gathered a further 450 responses.

Running alongside are long-awaited plans by the council and a private sector development partner called Urban Splash to redevelop seven large sites in and around the central area of city. The first three of these, subject to planning permission and funding, would be offices, retail, leisure and hospitality space, plus flats, public squares and new greenery between St Mary’s Church and Oystermouth Road; housing, commercial and communal space at the former St Thomas railway station site across the River Tawe; and a redeveloped Civic Centre site featuring flats, leisure and hospitality, and a potential aquarium.

Cllr Michael Locke asked for an update on the Civic Centre proposals. Gail Evans, the council’s city centre regeneration team leader, said initial designs had been prepared and that a report could be brought forward in the new year about potential new uses.

Cllr Will Thomas said he was very impressed with the new central hub, called Y Storfa, which includes the central library and other services and has just opened on the corner of Oxford Street and Princess Way. He asked if there were opportunities for city centre buildings to be used for education and sport to help drive footfall.

Other members of the panel felt it was important to have a uniform network of signs to help people, especially visitors, find their way around.

Panel convenor, Cllr Chris Holley, said the commercial viability of regeneration schemes was always an issue in Swansea requiring public sector “gap funding” to get them to stack up. He also urged the council to arrange a workshop on the draft placemaking plan for all elected members given its future role in development and the geographical spread it covered. “It’s a huge area,” he said.

Council leader Rob Stewart said it was time to review and update the placemaking plan and that Swansea was “a different city” compared to 2016 when its predecessor was adopted as policy.