Housing organisation in Swansea says ‘More Greenery is Needed’- Council leader agrees

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart has given his thumbs up to an eye-catching new city centre installation.

Coastal Housing Group’s giant banner at the western end of The Kingsway proclaims “More greenery is needed.” And that chimes with the council’s plans to increase green cover and biodiversity around the city centre.

Cllr Stewart said: “It’s great that Coastal draw attention to an ambition we share for a greener city centre.

“With our help, they plan living walls on this building, above the pub; we and others plan other such installations along with other green measures.

“Together, as a key part of our £1bn regeneration programme, they’ll help make Swansea a place where more and more people want to live, work and spend quality time.”

The banner is also a fond nod to the former “More poetry is needed” temporary art installation that made way in recent years for regeneration near the council-driven £135m Copr Bay Phase One scheme.

Copr Bay includes the 3,500-capacity Swansea Arena and a coastal-themed park. Visitors to the park – once opened in the coming months – will enjoy water features, plenty of greenery, bug hotels and table tennis tables.

The 1.1-acre destination – Swansea city centre’s first new park since Victorian times – is being constructed next to the arena.

Free WiFi will be available there, along with solar-powered benches enabling people to charge their smartphones, tablets and laptops. A café and restaurant is being built.

The park is being constructed above a new car parking complex. A living wall will run alongside the Oystermouth Road side of the car park.

It will build on extensive recent council work to introduce more greenery in Swansea city centre. This includes the major environmental upgrade of the Kingsway and a soon-to-be introduced pop-up park at the former St David’s shopping centre site.

Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for regeneration, investment and tourism, said: “We and others are bringing yet more greenery, biodiversity and activity to the city centre.

“The park and other plans show our commitment to transform Swansea into the one of the UK’s greenest cities.”

Debbie Green, Coastal Chief Executive, said: “Plants take in co2, produce oxygen, absorb rainwater and can have a cooling effect on high temperatures, so more greenery is definitely needed, especially in urban areas. Fortunately, thanks to the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns funding and the support of Swansea Council, more green infrastructure projects like this are due to happen across the city in the near future.”

Other plans in Swansea include roof and terrace greening at the high-tech office development to be constructed at the former Oceana nightclub site on the Kingsway.

A “living building” office scheme will be constructed nearby, complete with an urban farm-style greenhouse set over four floors. Led by Hacer Developments, that scheme is being part-funded by Pobl Group.

Plans are being progressed for a greener Castle Square – and Wind Street will soon have more planted areas, helping to make it an all-day leisure destination.

The council has a green infrastructure strategy, designed to bring more nature into the Swansea central area.

The arena is being part-funded by the Swansea Bay City Deal, with the Copr Bay bridge being part-funded by the Welsh Government’s Active Travel Fund.

Coastal’s plans for a green wall above the Potters Wheel are funded by the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns initiative, with help from the council.

(Lead image: Coastal Housing)