Ospreys sports ground plans approved

Richard Youle, local democracy reporter

Plans for the Ospreys rugby club to redevelop Swansea’s historic St Helen’s sports ground have been unanimously approved.

Ospreys chief executive Lance Bradley addressed the council’s planning committee to say the redevelopment was really important for the club’s future and also for that of Swansea RFC and Swansea University, which will continue to play matches there.

Mr Bradley said the aim was for schools and age-grade representative rugby to also benefit as part of a rugby “hub” at the seaside venue.

“It’s an incredibly iconic ground,” he said. “We will completely respect the history of the place.”

‘Uncertain times’

Mr Bradley referred to “uncertain times” in Welsh rugby and said the opportunity to redevelop St Helen’s would be a a significant factor in ensuring the future of professional rugby in Swansea.

The plan is to refurbish and cover the existing north stand, which will remain standing-only, re-orientate the pitch in a north-easterly direction towards the clubhouse and replace the current turf with a 3G surface, build a new southern stand and add two stands at either end of the pitch.

The club’s preferred option for the southern stand is a two-storey rather than a single-storey structure incorporating changing rooms, a medical room, toilets and corporate hospitality.

Capacity

A report before the committee said the club couldn’t unequivocally confirm the two-storey option at this stage. It added that the capacity of the ground would be between 8,044 and 8,396.

Uplands ward councillor Peter May addressed the committee to say he’d lived close to St Helen’s Rugby and Cricket Ground, which opened in 1873, for 29 years and that he backed the project.

He said the Ospreys had had “a dialogue not monologue” with local councillors and residents and that in his view the scale of the proposed venue was “about right” for the area.

Cllr May said he would, though, want buses available to take spectators away from the ground if there were evening midweek or late weekend matches.

Cllr May acknowledged that Swansea Cricket Club would have to vacate the ground it has occupied for 150 years but this was partly due, in his view, to Glamorgan Cricket Club’s decision not to play fixtures there since 2019 because of concerns about the facilities.

“I really look forward to the evolution and the next chapter in our dear St Helen’s ground,” said Cllr May.

The Ospreys will also create a fans’ zone with a retractable roof at the Gorse Lane end of the ground, a staff car park with around 100 spaces to be accessed via Gorse Lane, a new southern entrance for spectators, and bicycle stands for 80 bikes. Replacement floodlights will also be installed.

The Ospreys also intend to build a training barn at the Gorse Lane-Mumbles Road corner of the ground, and the permission given by the committee included outline consent for this second phase of the scheme.

Although the rugby club was the applicant, the committee report said the initiative was a joint venture with the council and Swansea University and formed part of a wider city deal project to create a sports and medical technology cluster in the vicinity.

The council, which owns the ground, is to invest in the redevelopment as part of a long-term agreement with the Ospreys. Council budget papers have shown £5.1 million allocated the project, with just over £1 million on top to create a suitable venue for the cricket club off Sketty Lane, Sketty.

The cricket club will move out at the end of August, and the Ospreys aim to play their first home match at St Helen’s in December. It would be their first match there since 2005 when they moved to what was then the new Liberty Stadium, Landore, where Swansea City Football Club also play.

Assurances

Members of the committee backed the plans while seeking assurances about travel and road measures on match days.

Cllr Phil Downing said the project was important for the county, not just the city. “Being a total football fan, this is still very exciting for me,” he said.

A planning officer said a travel plan submitted by the Ospreys, which includes buses on match days offering a park and ride service, was an evolving document rather than something fixed from day one.

Referring to the 8,000-odd capacity, the officer said: “I can remember going to games here which far exceeded that number.”

The future of the current structure of four professional regional rugby sides in Wales continues to be the subject of discussion, with the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) saying a consultation about a restructure would take place this month and next. One potential development, it said, was whether there should be a reduction to three or two regional teams.

The planning committee heard there were four letters of objection plus two late ones – one of which was from the Scarlets Supports Trust.

Mr Bradley has recently said he was confident of a positive outcome regarding the WRU discussions. In a statement issued by the club after the approval decision, he said: “This is an incredibly exciting moment and a vital step in building the future of the Ospreys and rugby across our region.”

‘Vitally important’

Cllr Rob Stewart, the leader of Swansea Council, said: “It’s vitally important for sport and the local economy that the Ospreys continue to be based in Swansea and we’re working together to make that happen.

“We’ve agreed a lease for them to make St Helen’s their new home and to widen its community use. By having a lease agreed and planning permission in place the Ospreys can start moving ahead with their plans to remain in Swansea and transform the historic St Helen’s ground into a modern sports facility.”

He added: “We know the uncertainty over the future of the regions has raised concerns about the timing of the planned redevelopment of St Helen’s. That’s why we’re working closely with the Ospreys and have an agreement with them to ensure the works at St Helen’s progress in line with any WRU decisions on the future structure of the regions.”