Swansea
Leader
inside
Newspaper of the City and County of Swansea
Issue 64
November 2009
Celebrate
Lifesavers
Our future
It’s Christmas in the city, oh yes it is
Rookies take the plunge at National Pool
Peek inside Improvement Plan
page 3
page 10
special supplement
BUSINESS leaders in Swansea are supporting multi-million pound plans to regenerate the city centre and waterfront. Their backing comes in the wake of Swansea receiving £38m in Welsh Assembly Government and European Convergence Fund money to drive forward the City Centre Strategic Framework- a blueprint to regenerate the city centre and develop better links between the shops and the waterfront. The funding means a Europeanstyle boulevard could be developed along Oystermouth Road that would see the route enhanced with better landscaping, footpaths, cycleways, street furniture and public art. Other works could see further upgrades in the pedestrianised area and more grants being made available to businesses to improve the outside of their premises. Carrie Mosley, The Wave and Swansea Sound’s Station Director, said: “We’re very fortunate to have been one of the cities that’s retained the ability to continue regenerating in these difficult economic times. While there will no doubt be challenges ahead it’s very important that the people of Swansea get behind these exciting regeneration plans so that we’re all moving in the same direction.
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Businesses hail city’s bright future PROJECTS in the pipeline include the development of an area of special character along the lines of The Lanes in Brighton in the west of the city centre towards Lower Oxford Street and West Way. Castle Lane will also be enhanced to generate better links between Parc Tawe and the city centre and an area of High Street will be regenerated into an Urban Village thanks to a Coastal Housing Scheme. • FOR more details about what’s going on in the city centre turn to page 5 or go to www.swanseacitycentre.com
“The latest allocation of funding when combined with several innovative proposals means Swansea has a real opportunity to become one of the best destinations of its kind in Europe. Swansea benefits from an outstanding natural location but it’s time we made the most of it and developed a city that will be envied throughout the UK and beyond.” Property developer Hammerson has also reaffirmed its commitment to leading the long-term regeneration of several key sites in the city centre and on the waterfront despite the current economic climate.
Detailed designs are now being put together that show how sites such as the St David’s/Quadrant area and Paxton Street car park could best be regenerated into a vibrant mix of shops, cafes, accommodation, offices and public squares. Hammerson is the company behind the Cabot Circus development in Bristol that created 2,400 jobs and a new Swansea Council scheme called Beyond Bricks and Mortar makes it a requirement that future schemes here include local training and recruitment opportunities. Rosemary Morgan, Chair of Swansea City Centre Partnership, said: “These projects will not only put Swansea on the map but will also be hugely beneficial to residents and traders because of the local jobs they’ll create and the further footfall and investment they’ll attract. “It’s vital everyone works together to ensure the people of Swansea get a city centre and waterfront they deserve.” Hywel Evans, Chair of the Swansea Business Forum, said: “These additional schemes are vital because they’ll help develop traditionally quieter parts of the city centre and will add vitality to a key gateway into the city. “We need to ensure no stone is left unturned in the regeneration process if Swansea is to prosper.”
• Pupils enjoy a top quality education
Top of the class SWANSEA Council’s education services are among the best performing in Wales, according to education watchdog Estyn. A report of an inspection carried out in June this year gives top marks to Swansea for its promotion of social inclusion and wellbeing in schools as well as for the support it makes available to children with additional learning needs. The report describes the support on hand for vulnerable groups as excellent and points to the success of including targets in strategic planning to reduce the number of 16 and 17-year-olds not in
full-time education, employment or training. This, the report says, has led to the number of people in full-time education in Swansea improving at a faster rate than the rest of Wales. Mike Day, Cabinet Member for Education said: “Many aspects of the Estyn report make for very positive reading and everyone involved in Swansea’s education services should feel proud of the contribution they have made to this outcome.” • Find out more about the Estyn report on page 4.