Ideas are forming for the development of Swansea seafront

DECISIONS that could alter the seafront in Swansea for ever are due starting to be made. At a meeting earlier this month a councillor insisted they would “not be selling off the family silver” when it considers developments.

Councillor Robert Francis-Davies made the comment when he was addressing a council scrutiny meeting at which questions were asked about the latest plans for the bottom of Sketty Lane, the Blackpill Lido and the West Cross skate ramp and Langland tennis court sites.

Most of the meeting focused on Mumbles Community Council plans for a new skate park at the West Cross site, off Mumbles Road, and a Swansea Council recommendation to advertise the two side-by-side tennis courts and adjacent public toilets at Langland for sale or to let on a long lease.

Mumbles Community Council representatives asked if there had been any other interest expressed in the West Cross skate ramp site, and said its proposal had significant support.

Council leader Rob Stewart praised the council for its work promoting the skate park and submitting a planning application for it.

The community council also said new traffic measures would be put in place to stop Mumbles Road being used as a drop-off point for skaters – one of the concerns of objectors.

A Swansea Council officer confirmed there had been some interest in the skate ramp site, but nothing specific, and that the lack of toilets and dedicated parking at the proposed skate park would not necessarily result in the application being refused.

To develop, or leave alone?

It’s the million-dollar question for any seafront city – and we’ve been here before in Swansea.

Twelve years ago the Swansea Bay Strategy Action Plan, commissioned by the council and Welsh Government, was published. And this what it proposed... City Waterfront – an opened-up Civic Centre, with new visitor facilites and beach activities, and an upgrade of properties along Oystermouth Road.

St Helen’s – Retain the cricket and rugby ground in tandem with some potential development at the ground, a development brief for the adjacent Rec, plus beach activites.

Sketty Lane – An adrenaline sports centre, and a strengthening of Swansea University’s sports village on the landward side of Oystermouth Road.

Blackpill – Improve the lido as a year-round visitor attraction, improve links to Clyne Country Park and Clyne Gardens, and a new cycle and pedestrian bridge marking the start of Gower.

Mumbles – Develop retail and visitor facilities at Oystemouth Square, revitalise the area between the square and Knab Rock, and enhance Oystermouth Castle as an attraction.

Mumbles Pier – Refurbish the pier, promote water trips between the pier and Swansea Marina, and encourage redevelopment of land fronting the pier and beach area.

Also proposed were new cycle hire facilities, an extended land train service, more signs, better lighting and new toilets and showers.

What did the strategy say about Swansea Bay?

“If Swansea is to take its place as a European waterfront city, it must make the most of its strategic assets,” it said.

“The bay is Swansea’s premier strategic asset and it must play a more positive role in the economic development and vitality that the city has to offer.”

It added: “It should be the destination for culture, art, good food, quality places and a place to meet people. The bay should be a symbol of the quality of life that Swansea can deliver for residents and visitors. It is city life at the water’s edge.”

On a windswept winter’s day, most people could do without city life at the water’s edge in Swansea.

It is a different story when long, lazy summer days reign supreme.

With a new decade under way it feels odd that so little has changed. The seafront essentially looks the same.

Kitesurfing was all the rage for a while, and seven-a-side beach rugby kicked off – in one or two cases quite literally – on the beach.

Has there been much change?

The Civic Centre was opened up to some degree, with a new-look library and west-facing, groundfloor cafe created.

The 360 Beach and Watersports facility – now The Secret Bar and Kitchen – was built opposite St Helen’s, and summertime volleyball there is popular.

The prom has been widened further towards Sketty Lane and beyond, Oyster Wharf has delivered new cafes and restaurants in Mumbles, and there has been investment in the castle.

Mumbles Pier is being refurbished and new cycle hire stations have been installed on the seafront.

Grass-covered sand dunes have also been created on the beach near the Civic Centre to help protect against coastal flooding.

So what does the Lib-Dem council leader of the day, Chris Holley, recall of the Swansea Bay Strategy?

“The piece of work was paid for by the council, which was part of a bid for European convergence and Welsh Government funding to provide new restaurants, cafes and toilets around the bay,” he said.

“It was clear during the study that the best way to develop the bay was only develop what was there and not add anything else on the shoreline.

“Blackpill was to be upgraded to provide an all-weather playground and water park for children, with new restaurants/cafe and toilets and parking opposite at the bottom of Clyne Valley.”

So why didn’t more of the strategy materialise?

Cllr Holley said: “As council leader at the time we had high hopes that the Welsh Government would back these plans to enhance our city, but no funding came forward but a small amount for the building of the cafe opposite St Helen’s.”

He said there was resistance from other political parties, while a proposal to create multi-storey parking at the Quarry car park in Mumbles was thwarted by concerns about rare plants on the quarry faces.

Cllr Holley added: “Other parts of Wales have had millions invested in their infrastructure and tourist destinations.

“We in Swansea wanted the same level of investment – and with that, private investment would have followed, much like the current city deal is hoped will do.”

Any other recollections?

Businessman Meirion Howells was one of several Swansea Bay Strategy consultees.

“The ‘string of pearls’ included the development of the 360 Beach and Watersports, and that was a success,” he said. “At the time we were looking to develop St Helen’s into a bigger sporting venue.

“It was just after the Liberty Stadium was built, and Glamorgan County Cricket predominantly going to Cardiff didn’t help.

“We were looking at student accommodation for the clubhouse (at St Helen’s), with a new clubhouse the other side of the ground.”

Mr Howells, of West Cross, said a lack of money and an absence of commercial operators for the sites stymied progress.

“At the end of the day, you have to have an end user in the commercial sense,” he said. “But I don’t think having a strategy is a bad thing. It gets people talking about what you can do.”

Mr Howells recalled a previous strategy in the 1960s, which involved the council buying up