We have lots to be proud of in Swansea: our gorgeous beaches, fantastic arena and live music venues, and warm and welcoming independent shops, cafes, restaurants and bars, to name but a few. But, like many other cities across the UK, it's far from plain sailing.
With a new year comes a fresh start, a time for people to set new goals and aspirations - or to pick up projects and challenges they faced the year before with some new energy and vigour. There's lots we'd like to see improved in Swansea this year - and we'd be keen to hear your ideas for things you'd like to see changed, adapted or redeveloped in the city. Email: molly.dowrick@walesonline.co.uk if you have an idea you'd like to share. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
From the scaffolding that's blighted Princess Way for more than five years, to damaged and dilapidated buildings in High Street, and empty units in the city centre - there's several challenges that need resolving this year. We have our fingers crossed that all these issues can be more successfully tackled in 2024, or at least significant progress made:
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1. Swansea Arena car park and units at Cupid Way which still aren't open
Swansea's fantastic new arena opened to the public in March, 2022 - yet almost two years later, its main multi-storey car park is still not complete and nearby eatery units, partly-aimed at audiences attending shows and events at the arena, are not yet open either. The delays with the car park were largely caused by issues with the paintwork coating system and because the main contractor, Buckingham Group, filed for administration last summer.
And, whilst a new hotel was also promised as part of Stage One of the mammoth £135m Copr Bay development project - which incorporates the arena, the golden bridge connecting the city with the coastline, new homes, conference facilities and a coastal park - plans haven't even got off the ground for this yet.
There are some big-name shows and singers coming to Swansea Arena this year, including SIX, Paloma Faith, Status Quo and Gladys Knight, to name but a few - but many people will only continue to come to the Arena if they can park nearby! The car park below the Arena, which has 347 spaces, is simply not big enough on its own for the thousands of people attending shows at the venue.
We need to see the Arena car park finished and open to the public so that more people can park within easy walking distance of the venue, helping fill further seats at shows and events - and bringing more local people and tourists to shops and businesses in the city centre too.
We also need to see the units at Cupid Way finished so that people have more of a reason to 'make a day of it' when visiting the city and the arena, and to help encourage further eateries and businesses to open-up in our city centre. Building the long-awaited hotel would also massively help this too.
2. Scaffolding that's covered a prime building in Princess Way for more than five years
Swansea city centre isn’t the prettiest you'll see on your travels, partly thanks to the Nazis who razed many of its historic buildings to the ground. Some of the shops and buildings are looking a bit tired and there’s few green spaces – though the promised redevelopment of Castle Square Gardens will certainly change all that. Scroll down for more on this But there’s one retail building which has been in desperate need of something to happen there for more than five years.
Scaffolding and netting has cladded the retail building which houses Zara, Tiger, Coffee #1, Zinco Lounge and other popular shops and eateries, since November, 2018 – so long ago that many of us can’t really remember what the building looked like before it.
The building’s owner, Quantum Swansea LLP, had previously said there were legal matters with the building that needed resolving, and it's understood this has finally happened. Last month, a spokesperson for the company said contractors would start the necessary works on the building on January 8, 2024.
We certainly need these works to be completed properly and efficiently, so that the scaffolding and cladding can be removed. We can imagine this would really help add further footfall to the shops and businesses in the building and nearby – and ultimately smarten up the city centre too.
3. Anti-social behaviour in parts of the city centre
Last June, Swansea Central – a neighbourhood which covers the city centre and areas including Swansea Marina and Mount Pleasant – was officially named as having the highest rate of anti-social behaviour in all of Wales. At the time, the area also had the second-highest crime rate in Wales with 472 crimes per 1,000 people, and people working in the city centre told us anti-social behaviour was particularly troublesome in the bus station on an evening.
More recently, in November, South Wales Police upped its patrols in Swansea and introduced a new team in the city centre, as part of ‘Operation Viscaria,’ designed to deter anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. Officers were granted extra powers between Halloween and Fireworks Night to deal with children as young as 10 years old causing problems and said tackling bad behaviour was a “priority” as it had a “significant detrimental impact” on life in the city.
We need to see the increased visibility of police offices in the city centre and extra patrols continue throughout 2024 to continue to deter people from anti-social behaviour and shoplifting.
Certainly, there is no one singular reason for anti-social behaviour – and perhaps we need to see more community centres opening across the city and more affordable activities around Swansea for people of all ages, especially young people, to get involved with on evenings, weekends and school holidays to help keep people busy and supported - but an increased police presence is a step in the right direction.
4. Decrepit buildings in High Street
Swansea High Street has historically been one of the most crime-ridden areas of the city and has something of a reputation locally for anti-social behaviour, drugs, theft and illegal sex work.
Whilst the posh new(ish) student accommodation blocks at the top of High Street certainly smarten up the area and there’s a handful of brilliant businesses including fantastic independent music venues and popular cafes dotted along the street, ultimately High Street gives a terrible first impression to so many people arriving in Swansea for the first time.
Thousands of people get the train into the city every week, including hundreds of tourists and visitors to the city. We want them to be wowed by Swansea and to really make the most of their time visiting the city – and first impressions count.
Some of the buildings on High Street have been empty for decades – and others look like they’re held up by sticks. We need to see continued investment in High Street so that the dilapidated and damaged units are replaced or refurbished to a good standard, in keeping with the newer and more attractive units already on the street.
We need to see parts of High Street drastically improved.
5. Row over Kilvey Hill
Plans to turn Kilvey Hill into a £34m leisure attraction with a zipline, sky swing, gondola ride, downhill karting and mountain bike trails were officially submitted in November – and some people were not happy. The chief executive of Skyline Enterprises, the New Zealand firm behind the plans, said he and his colleagues “fell in love” with the Swansea site on their first visit back in 2017 and said the views from the hill were “spectacular”. You can recap our coverage of the plans for the attraction here
While there has been a lot of support for the proposal, which is estimated to cost around £34m but be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds to the Swansea economy every year, there was a march against the proposal in October last year and more than 3,000 people signed an online petition last November calling for the Welsh Government to “stop wasting” £4m on the project.
It’s far too early to tell if the plans will be approved but we need the continued row between protesters and developers to be fixed and some sort of solution to be achieved. We certainly don’t want to stop new developments opening in the city – especially developments that promise to bring thousands of people to Swansea every year and provide a worthwhile boost to the local economy – but we must think of the impact of new developments on the people that live in Swansea all year round, and try and resolve any concerns they have
6. Animals being run over in Gower
Every month it seems we’re hearing of a frightening collision in Gower between a vehicle and an animal, mostly sheep or cows. It’s awful for everyone involved: the driver and passengers in the vehicle, witnesses to the crashes – and the farmers or local people who care for the animals.
The issue is perhaps more complex than simply further lowering the speed-limit or brightening parts of the road where animals congregate at night but aren’t always seen by cars. Signs and other pleas to motorists to stick to the 40mph limit or lower, and to take extra care often seem to fall on deaf ears when it comes to the people who most need to take them on board, but something needs to be done to stop the multiple incidents that happen every year.
7. Swansea Civic Centre in need of TLC or redevelopment
Once the bustling heart of Swansea Council, few council workers are actually based in the Civic Centre these days and the centre’s main attractions: the central library and many council services are moving over to Y Storfa (the new community hub on the site of the old BHS building in the city centre) later this year, whilst many staff relocated to the Guildhall last year.
The Civic Centre boasts some of the best views in the city: the gentle crash of waves on the miles and miles of golden sands. But few people enjoy the views and the building is pretty quiet day-to-day. With this in mind, we need to see a solid plan for the future of the Civic Centre when the council services relocate. We don’t want to see such a huge building stand there empty and abandoned.
In 2022, it was announced that the Civic Centre could be transformed, after council staff leave, into an area similar to Royal William Yard in Plymouth, Devon – a historic waterside district at a former Navy yard now filled with shops, restaurants, bars, accommodation and art studios.
8. Castle Square
We can't wait for the concrete square at Castle Square to be transformed into a lush and inviting green space. Long-awaited plans to revamp the area were approved last January and when completed, works will see more trees and lawns planted in the area and the creation of two 'pavilions' for food, drink or retail businesses.
There will also be a new water feature, seating areas and a large television above a bandstand-style facility. Preliminary works began in November and Swansea Council has previously said it expects the works to take about a year - so we do hope to see the transformation completed in 2024.
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9. Rubbish strewn across the streets in Townhill, Mount Pleasant and Sandfields
Made worse by the recent bouts of poor weather, something needs to be done about the bags of rubbish that are strewn across residential streets across the city, particularly in Townhill, Mount Pleasant and Sandfields. Of course, residents are responsible for the correct disposal of their rubbish, but with foxes running rampant and seagulls dive-bombing the smallest bit of food, some city streets are in dire need of being cleaned up.
10. Empty units in the city centre
We've got lots of new developments to look forward to in 2024, including the new premium office building at 71/72 The Kingsway and the new biophilic living building at Picton Yard - but there are still a number of empty city centre units begging to be filled.
Residents regularly tell us they want to see more shops in the city centre, particularly for middle-aged and older folk who don't always like to shop online, and more shops and businesses ultimately means more jobs for local people too.
But if businesses or brands can't fill the units quickly, then it would be good to see shop-fronts filled with posters or displays celebrating those that are operating in the city - or perhaps marking routes to nearby cafes and bars - or advertising events in the city.
11. Parc Tawe parking
Time and time again, we hear of people parking in Parc Tawe retail park and being stung by a parking ticket, perhaps for overstaying the standard two-hour time limit or for misunderstanding the parking regulations. People can extend their stays there if they are visiting certain local businesses, but the sheer number of people reporting fines means something is going wrong, and for an area that attracts tens of thousands of people every week, it needs to be resolved and fast.
12. Some roads need their 20mph speed limits reconsidered
Drivers in Swansea say they have been left confused by certain roads after the 20mph default speed limit was introduced by the Welsh Government. Since the change happened in September analysis has shown how the limit is working and that it only increases journey times by around 45 seconds - and could save thousands of lives every year.
But locals say several Swansea roads, including Mayals Road and Townhill Road, should go back to being 30mph as there is "no need" for them to have a 20mph limit. More on this here.
13. Swansea airport still doesn't run commercial flights
Last January, Swansea Airport announced it was set to launch flights to and from Exeter in Devon later in the year - the first scheduled passenger flights from the airport in almost 20 years. But just six months later, Swansea Council confirmed it was ending its agreement with the airport and later said it intended to go to court to take possession of it.
The council said the legal action came after a range of issues relating to the airport management, including the suspension of its Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) licence - meaning commercial flights were not allowed from the site anyway until the issues could be resolved.
While the legal process runs its course the council said it would continue to explore a range of options for a viable airport future and said its aim was to achieve a seamless transition of the occupancy and operational arrangements should the legal action to retake possession be successful. Whatever happens, we really need to see some sort of progress with Swansea Airport.
14. Debenhams is still empty
For 40 years, it was the star attraction of Swansea shopping: department store Debenhams stocked men's, women's and children's clothing, accessories, shoes, cosmetics, gifts, luggage and everything-in-between. For many, it was the go-to place to buy a new outfit or to browse for a family member's birthday or Christmas present and many of its kind and hard-working staff worked there for many years - so its closure in January, 2021, came as a huge upset to workers, shoppers and residents across the city.
Later, when Labour was once again voted into power at Swansea Council in May, 2022, continuing a 10-year unbroken stretch, council leaders said securing a tenant for the empty Debenhams store was among their priorities for the group's first 100 days in command, with 100 days after the May 5 election being July 13, 2022.
But July 13 came and went - and it's now been two years since the shop closed and we don't appear to be any closer to having anything filling the unit, even though the council was said to be in "advanced talks" with a retailer a year ago.
15. The wild geese
If you've driven along Mumbles Road recently, chances are you may have been held up - but not by general congestion, or a crash - but by geese.
The geese in question are located on the pond in Singleton Park, but they like to cross Mumbles Road to the seaside at the bottom of Sketty Lane. Unfamiliar with traffic lights, they happily stroll across at a time of their choosing, much to the frustration of motorists who have to wait patiently while they complete their waddles.
There may not be an easy solution to this one, short of building a geese tunnel, or having a lollipop person for geese. But, we thought we'd stick it on here anyway!
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