Two prominent Swansea High Street shops once clad in artwork could be demolished

Two shops on High Street in Swansea City Centre could be demolished if planners approve proposals from Coastal Housing Association.

The two shops at 226 and 226a High Street have been empty for some time.

In planning documents sent to Swansea Council planners, building owners Coastal Housing Association say the building is structurally unsafe, and no access inside the building is permitted.

They want to demolish the building and redevelop the site.

Coastal Housing are behind the huge recent regeneration scheme on High Street, including the Urban Village development that includes hundreds of apartments as well as offices and shops.

While adjacent properties have been demolished and redeveloped, Google Maps shows the slow decline of 226 and 226a High Street.

In 2008, street view images shows one of the shops looking like it’s already been empty for some time. The upper floors are boarded up and bushes sprout from the building. A shop sign above hints that Tennessee Fried Chicken was once served here, but the shop front is boarded up, and ominous signs tell people to keep out.

Next door at 226a however is a different story, with a hairdressers looking like it’s open for business.

Fast forward four years to 2012 and bold new artwork covers the front of number 226 proclaiming ‘We Are Here’. The boarded upper floor windows covered in foliage remain however.

Next door at 226a is a different story. It’s still operating as a hair and beauty salon, albeit with a different shop front this time.

Six years on in 2018, and the Tennessee Fried Chicken sign has reappeared at 226 High Street. The artwork on the shopfront has also changed, this time with an eclectic street scene.

The hairdressers next door has become a tattoo studio. although it still looks like it’s open for business.

More recent images in 2021 show the building clad in scaffolding, with safety fencing circling the front of the shops. The artwork is gone, as is the Tennessee Chicken sign.

Even the tattoo studio next door is looking sorry for itself, with its shutters firmly closed.

If planners give Coastal Housing Association permission to demolish the buildings, then they will soon disappear for good.

If the vibrant new buildings nearby are anything to go by however, the future may look a bit brighter for this part of High Street once the site has been redeveloped.

(Lead image: Google Maps)