Open Day Next Week To Discuss City Centre Regeneration Plans

Major plans to regenerate Swansea city centre will be the focus of an open day being held next week. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Rivington Land, Swansea Council’s development manager for the St David’s site, is holding a ‘Meet the Team’ event at the National Waterfront Museum on Wednesday February 15. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Lasting from 11am to 7pm in the attraction’s Ocean Room, the open day will give people the chance to see plans and discuss them with professional consultants from the development team. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Winning ideas for the St David’s site, which is made up of the former St David’s shopping centre and the LC car park, include shops, restaurants, a boutique cinema, a digital indoor arena, a hotel, hundreds of car parking spaces and a broad pedestrian link over Oystermouth Road. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following a previous round of consultation about the proposals in December, people now have another opportunity to have their say. This is because of a new planning rule that means a draft outline planning application for a major project of this kind now has to be published before a final version is submitted. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

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Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “The winning ideas for the St David’s development site are hugely exciting, but they’re not just pretty pictures that will never materialise. Our absolute focus is on delivery for the benefit of Swansea people, with a huge amount of progress having already been made behind the scenes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“As well as the final outline planning application that will be submitted next month for the St David’s scheme, we’ll also soon be appointing a digital indoor arena operator to help us inform the specification of an attraction that will host world class musicians, comedians, touring shows, exhibitions and gaming conferences. People can rest assured that work on site will start as soon as it’s possible to do so. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Other progress includes the Swansea Bay City Region’s City Deal bid to the UK Government that we’re optimistic will be approved by the end of February. As well as allowing the new indoor arena to go digital, the City Deal would also lead, among many other projects, to a digital square in St David’s that would cater for digital projections and other cutting-edge facilities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Our plans for St David’s have already been revised to reflect a previous round of feedback, but this is another opportunity for people to have their say. This is important because we want to deliver a city centre that meets everyone’s aspirations.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As well as the ‘Meet the Team’ event, people can also visit www.swanseacentral.info to have a look at the plans and share their views. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​