New visualisations have been released which bring to life Swansea Council’s proposed plans to completely transform the city centre and its well-known focal point, Castle Square Gardens.
New concept footage shows a greener, regenerated city centre and a more welcoming Castle Square Gardens, a Swansea focal point which has previously been labelled a “concrete crater”.
The plan for Castle Square Gardens includes safe play fountains for children, new units for cafes and restaurants, and a substantial increase in greenery.
The flythrough video, created by iCreate, shows the improved Gardens emerging between a new Community Hub, with library and improved Wind Street. From there it sweeps up from Wind Street and Princess Way and pans over Caer Street and Castle Bailey Street.
It zooms in on the planned new greenery, water features and cafe/restaurant then moves from the castle towards Copr Bay, Swansea’s new £135m culture and leisure neighbourhood, centred around a massive indoor arena.
The new Copr Bay development will feature a 3,500-capacity state-of-the-art indoor arena, a new hotel, top of the range conference facilities, a 1.1 acre coastal park and a range of independent eateries and shops. It’s set to open early next year.
There are hopes the new regeneration projects will breathe new life into the city centre, preserving and creating new jobs.
Council leader Rob Stewart said: “Our £1bn regeneration of Swansea has taken great strides in recent years – and we’re planning for that positive change to continue. Our new video gives residents, visitors and businesses a good look at how we want a much greener Castle Square Gardens to look and feel in future.”
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He added: “It will sit conveniently alongside developments such as the new community hub - complete with main library - and Wind Street.”
Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “Our plan is for a fully re-imagined and improved Castle Square Gardens right next to the new community hub. Both will create new footfall for local business and new opportunities for people to meet and relax.”
He added: “We’re making Swansea a place where people want to spend quality time, live, work, study and set up business. Our key projects will bring new life to the city centre, preserving and creating jobs.”
A planning application is due to be submitted this year triggering a fresh round of public consultation. Subject to permission being granted, the new-look destination could be in use for the second half of 2023.
Change-of-use permission has just been granted for the neighbouring former BHS/What! building, with plans for it to become the city's new main library and other services also planned for the second half of next year.