Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Wales Online
Wales Online
National
Richard Youle

This is when the £135m Copr Bay project in Swansea should be finished

The final elements of Swansea's long-running Copr Bay regeneration project should be completed this year, the council has said. While the arena, adjacent coastal park and eye-catching pedestrian bridge across Oystermouth Road have been the priority, and have been open for a while, construction activity has continued on the large building on the other side.

It has 33 flats, which have now been handed over to housing association Pobl Group, plus commercial units and a multi-storey car park, which is screened by white sheeting. Work on the £135 million council-led Copr Bay scheme began in 2019. A council spokesman said Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd - the authority's main Copr Bay contractor - anticipated completion of the new car park and commercial units by the end of this year.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: "The completion of large parts of Copr Bay during the pandemic was a remarkable achievement, with many thousands of local people and visitors now enjoying facilities like Swansea Arena and the coastal park every week." You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.

READ MORE: Pedestrian fighting for life after crash in Swansea city centre

Four of the units on the ground floor of the multi-storey car park have tenants: Coaltown Coffee, Frozziyo Frozen Yoghurt, Imperial Candy and KoKoDoo Korean Fried Chicken. The council said advanced discussions were underway for the two remaining units. Cllr Robert Francis-Davies added: "Once this overall scheme is complete, it will attract more people into the city centre, helping support existing business there while also opening up more jobs."

Under wraps: the multi-storey car park which forms part of the Copr Bay project (Richard Youle)
The new church hall and cafe unit which forms part of Copr Bay (Richard Youle)

There have been snagging issues at Copr Bay, such as securing water connections to the flats, getting hold of components for a glass lift, and cladding on a cafe unit adjacent to a new St David's Priory Church hall. These three issues have since been sorted out. Speaking at a council scrutiny meeting this month, Huw Mowbray, the council’s property development manager, said it was in Buckingham Group's interest to get all outstanding issues resolved as it was costing the company to still be on site. You can read more stories about Swansea here.

The council has appointed a development partner called Urban Splash to take forward plans for a second large-scale regeneration project on land beside the new multi-storey car park. Proposed developments on this land - leading up towards St Mary's Church - include a large public sector hub, retail and leisure units, and housing.

Read next:

  • Retired teacher dies in hospital days after alleged assault
  • Son took £26,000 from his elderly mother's bank account to buy cocaine
  • Staff at Swansea Council are off sick for three working weeks a year on average
  • Woman complains to McDonald’s after being sold ‘absolutely appalling’ chicken burger
  • Farmer killed in incident with bull on Welsh farm
  • Find out about great places to live near you:

  • Sign up to read this article
    Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
    Already a member? Sign in here
    Related Stories
    Top stories on inkl right now
    One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
    Already a member? Sign in here
    Our Picks
    Fourteen days free
    Download the app
    One app. One membership.
    100+ trusted global sources.