New cycle paths planned for Swansea as council invests in roads

New cycle paths are coming to Swansea this year, along with extra investment in roads. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Swansea Council will also, subject to funding, install more electric vehicle charging points. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Every year the authority submits proposals for shared-use paths in a bidding war with other councils for Welsh Government cash. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

It hoped to secure just under £5.6 million for four shared-use paths but has received £4.25 million – plus a further £1.1 million to design future schemes. This came from a £58 million Active Travel funding pot for Wales’s 22 authorities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The £4.25 million allocated for 2023-24 will be spent on: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• A new route across Clyne Common, Gower, from the top of Mayals Road, Mayals, to Bishopston (£1.28 million)
• Surfacing upgrades and widening of the shared-use path between Kingsbridge and Grovesend (£445,000)

These two schemes were funded in full. Two others have received partial funding. They are: ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

• Further investment in a so-called northern strategic route, including a shared-use path between the DVLA, Clase, and Morriston Hospital; new links in Pontarddulais connecting key residential sites with schools, the train station and retail areas; and the start of a new shared-use path between Gowerton and Loughor (£1.74 million)
• An extension of shared-use paths in the Morriston area, including a new one along Clasement Road (£786,000).

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on June 15, Cllr Andrew Stevens said a recently completed shared-use path between Gorseinon and Pontarddulais had hosted the Brisco Gorseinon 10K race with more than 1,000 runners – the first time the event had taken place for 25 years. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The council has also submitted a £675,000 funding bid which, if successful, will potentially pay for 26 fast-charging points for electric vehicles at sites across the county, including five leisure centres, Oxford Street, Brynhyfryd Square and Port Eynon. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Andrea Lewis said this would take the total number of charging points installed by the council to 125 and would encourage people with electric vehicles, including tourists, to come to Swansea. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We know that electric vehicles are the solution at the moment for green, ultra low emission vehicles, but this authority is keeping a close eye on hydrogen towards the future,” she said. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Another funding bid – £4.185 million – is for the Swansea Bay and West Wales Metro, which aims to develop a better connected public transport system in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cabinet, meanwhile, approved an extra £1 million of its own money for road resurfacing work for each of the next three years. It also brought forward £1 million earmarked for road maintenance next year to this year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Cllr Stevens, whose cabinet brief includes roads, said this was “much-needed additional investment” after a severe winter which had “taken a huge toll on our roads”. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Roads in line for repair work include Neath Road, Landore, Gors Avenue, Townhill, and Middle Road, Gendros. “This is great news for our residents,” said Cllr Stevens. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​