Sea defence wall opens

Richard Youle Local Democracy Reporter

A £26m coastal defence project which has taken more than two years has officially opened in Swansea.

Contractors are still putting the finishing touches though to the seawall and promenade scheme covering 1.2km of Mumbles shoreline.

It is designed to protect dozens of homes and business from coastal flooding for the next century and has also resulted in a wider, more attractive promenade.

Swansea council leader Rob Stewart said the new-look prom rivalled anything in the Mediterranean.

Deputy first minister Huw Irranca-Davies unveiled a plaque on the promenade and said the Welsh Government’s investment, while substantial, was only a small part of a £291m coastal management programme over five years in Wales.

“Magnificent”

Mr Irranca-Davies said he knew the location well after growing up in Gowerton, around eight miles away, and coaching tennis on the Mumbles promenade courts.

He thanked Swansea Council, which contributed 15% of the £26m, and contractors Knights Brown. “It’s magnificent,” he said of the new seawall.

Sea levels in the UK have risen by around 19.5cm since 1901, according to the Met Office, with two-thirds of that – 13.4cm – since 1993. Coastal flood risk is very much here to stay.

Mr Irranca-Davies, who has the responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, said there was a set criteria for prioritising coastal defence schemes based on social and economic factors.

“We cannot defend every inch of seafront and coastline,” he said.

Coastal management projects were submitted by local authorities for consideration, he said, with an emphasis on working with communities affected and not all of them were civil engineering schemes like the replacement Mumbles seawall.

“Important”

Marcelle Bollom lives on Promenade Terrace, just behind the now higher seawall, but said the view of the bay from her living room was unaffected because it was on the first floor.

She said neighbours whose living room was on the ground floor had lost their previous view but that everyone understood the work needed to be done.

“It looks amazing,” she said of the seawall and promenade. “And I would rather not get flooded. The old seawall was eroding and it looked scruffy. There’s plenty of new seating and bins, which is so important.”

Lily Ella Westacott, manager of lifestyle shop Hiatus, which backs onto the Mumbles seafront, said she was delighted with the project.

“It’s a big improvement to the local environment and we’re confident it’ll bring more people to enjoy Mumbles – and to boost us and neighbouring businesses,” she said.

There was an early hiccup in May 2023 when one of the excavators became submerged by the rising tide after what was described as a mechanical failure. It sat there for four days before being retrieved.

Knights Brown divisional director Andrew Eilbeck said it has been a challenging scheme given the significant tidal range and the need to keep the busy prom open. There were some days, he said, with only a two-to-three-hour window to pour concrete. “We are really proud,” he said.

Cllr Stewart said: “This is a major investment to defend Mumbles residents and businesses for the next 100 years but it also gives them a fantastic new seafront that can rival anything in the Mediterranean.

“It’s a great boost for Mumbles and I’m really grateful for the patience shown by residents and businesses during the construction phase but I think the results are worth it.”