Redevelopment work continues at Port Talbot Harbourside

Work on regenerating the Harbourside Strategic Employment Site in Port Talbot’s former docklands continues to progress, with senior members of Neath Port Talbot Council joining others on Friday (13 August) to see the ongoing work for themselves.

The regeneration work includes remediation of former brownfield land, construction of an access road, the upgrading of existing highways, flood mitigation measures and an extension to the car park next to Port Talbot’s Parkway Railway Station.

The council says that the improvements will be the catalyst for Neath Port Talbot Council’s redevelopment of the town’s former docks area into a thriving waterfront business and industrial centre, attracting further private investment helping to drive employment growth. The site will take full advantage of its closeness to the town centre and transport links.

Since work began in March, Port Talbot based contractors Andrew Scott Ltd, have now completed the Flood Mitigation Measures beneath Harbour Way. Also, remediation works to the development site are ahead of schedule and work on Cramic Way and Parkway Car Parks is starting this month. Local traffic management systems will be in place during this work and motorists are thanked for their continued patience.

The council says a number of local people having been helped into work thanks to the construction, including work experience for local young people and NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training) in partnership with the NPTCBC Skills & Training Tîr Morfa Centre and Cyfle Building Skills Onsite Hub work experience programme. A Civil Engineering Construction Operative Apprenticeship opportunity has also been created for a 17-year-old Port Talbot resident.

A Port Talbot Social Enterprise Thrive Group Wales has been appointed as Site Office & Welfare cleaners. All profits from Thrive Group Wales are distributed to Thrive Women’s Aid, to help support women, children and families impacted by domestic abuse.

The council says that 80% of the workforce come from within 40 miles of the site, with 96% of workforce living in Wales and 70% of spend to date is within Wales, with a significant proportion being spent within Neath Port Talbot.

The project is due for completion in March 2022.

The improvement scheme has secured £2.7m worth of funding from the European Regional Development Fund via the Welsh Government. This follows substantial EU funding in the regeneration work including £54m for the Harbour Way M4 link road, £7.5m in TWI’s engineering research centre and £2.5m in the town’s new Integrated Transport Hub.

Cllr Ted Latham, the Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “It’s exciting to view at first hand the ongoing work at the Harbourside Strategic Employment site which will be a catalyst for Neath Port Talbot Council’s redevelopment of the town’s former docklands into a thriving waterfront business and industrial centre, with first class transport links, attracting further private investment to help drive employment growth.”

Mark Bowen, Managing Director for Andrew Scott Limited, added: “As a major local employer, we are wholly committed to the delivery of initiatives that positively contribute to the social, economic and environmental well-being of Neath Port Talbot. Through the delivery of this project for Neath Port Talbot Council we can continue our long-standing approach of creating sustainable employment and training opportunities for local people.”

Cllr Annette Wingrave, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Sustainable Development, said: “This hugely important project is vital for the continued development of Harbourside, the Port Talbot Waterfront Enterprise Zone and the wider Swansea Bay City Region and its various projects, strengthening its viability as a destination to live and work, as well as creating development land in the area to meet demand for inward investment.”

(Lead image: Martin Ellard / Neath Port Talbot Council)