Greener Castle Square proposal gets planning permission

Swansea Council say the plans have been influenced by feedback from residents and businesses who called for a return to the greener gardens that previously occupied the space.

Castle Gardens, a formal planted green space was a post-war park, built on the site of the bombed Ben Evans department store, as a memorial to those that had died during Swansea’s blitz.

It was renamed Castle Square and changed into a more concrete plaza in 1995, featuring a specially commissioned £40,000 glass leaf sculpture sat atop a cascading waterfall fountain and pool.

Almost 30 years later, the council is promising a return to a greener Castle Square Gardens – and relocating that glass leaf sculpture to a new home in the city.

City planners have now approved proposals for more trees and other greenery, including new lawns, ornamental and biodiverse planting.

There will also be two pavilion buildings for food, drink or retail businesses – one with an accessible green roof – and a new water feature for interactive play.

A new giant TV screen above a bandstand-style facility will be installed alongside new outdoor seating areas, new planters, steps, seating, lighting and paving. 

Council leader Rob Stewart said: “Planning approval is great news for Castle Square Gardens; it means that we can now make this exciting scheme reality.

“I thank all those business people and members of the public who’ve helped shape the plans; their thoughts, ideas and observations mean that we’ll create something that complements our £1bn regeneration programme across the wider city centre.

“Castle Square Gardens is a focal point within the city centre, an important civic place.

“We’ll now enhance it, raise its quality and make it more active, distinctive and vibrant in line with other investment in the city.

“It’ll be a modern, functional and well maintained public space which can accommodate a range of events, arts and cultural experiences.”

The scheme’s commercial elements – including restaurant units with outdoor seating – aim to increase the location’s vitality and encourage people to stay longer.

The council say that Castle Square Gardens will continue to host public and creative events through the year. There’ll be no net loss of useable public open space.

The neighbouring Wind Street has already been improved as a largely pedestrian area – and at the other side of Castle Square Gardens a new public services hub, with library, is planned for the former BHS and What! store.

Businesses involved in the designs include those that specialise in areas such as architecture, civil engineering, lighting, landscaping and the natural environment.

They include architects ACME, development manager Spider Projects and structural specialists Civic Engineers.

Planning consultants Savills have been working on Castle Square Gardens on behalf of the council.

In the coming weeks the council plans to issue competitive tender notices for expert businesses eager to be the scheme’s main contractor. The overhaul is likely to take place from this year over a period of around 12 months.

As part of the formal planning process for this development the public had their say on the planning application last year. The council encouraged as much public feedback as possible.

Public feedback from earlier rounds of consultation had helped develop the final plans.

Friedrich Ludewig, founding director of architects ACME, said: “We’re delighted to receive planning for the re-envisioning of Swansea’s Castle Square Gardens.

“Locals have told us just how important green space in the city centre is, and this project helps to deliver a significantly greener landscape.

“The new Castle Square Gardens will revitalise an important civic space with an interactive water feature, biodiverse planting and new routes.

“Two pavilions will be embedded into the existing landscape with green roofs above, inspired by Swansea’s history at the centre of copper production and celebrating local low-carbon materials in the use of local timber and Welsh stone.”

(Lead image: Swansea Council)