Housing project at former Greyhound Inn site in Gower receives unanimous approval from Swansea Council

A delayed housing project where a pub used to stand in Gower has been given new momentum and ensure the local construction firm behind it can keep staff in a job, a meeting heard.
Bradbar Construction Ltd’s revised plans to build nine homes at the former Greyhound Inn site, Oldwalls, have been unanimously approved by Swansea Council’s planning committee.
Speaking at a committee meeting Alex Smith, a planning agent on behalf of the Gower-based company, said it employed 18 people and had been operating for around 20 years.
“Given the significant increase in building costs and the scarcity of development sites available in the Gower [Bradbar] have found trading very tough in recent years and the Greyhound site is of critical importance to ensure they can continue to operate and keep all their staff employed,” said Mr Smith.
The former pub dated from the 19th century and was well regarded for its real ale and food but trade dropped and it closed in 2018.
Contentious plans were submitted that year to knock it down and build five open-market houses and two pairs of semi-detached affordable ones. There were 65 letters of objection and a petition with 324 signatures, but also 101 letters of support, and the planning committee approved the application by one vote in early 2019.
Since then there have been further applications seeking to change certain elements of the scheme and the houses haven’t been built although their foundations have been laid, a council planning report said.
Bradbar Construction Ltd bought the site in 2022 and its revised scheme under consideration by the committee proposed a pavement along the front of the site, which includes the pub’s former car park, rather than the previously-approved roadside verge.
Other changes include solar panels and air source heat pumps for all nine houses and design alterations which planning agent Mr Smith would better complement the Gower area of outstanding natural beauty, now known as the Gower National Landscape.
The five detached open-market properties will have four bedrooms while the four affordable ones will be two-bed and taken on by housing association Beacon Cymru on a social rent basis.
The revised plans were recommended for approval by the council’s planning department and councillors on the committee gave them the go-ahead. “It looks like an improvement,” said Cllr Peter May. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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