Up to 230 new houses and flats have been proposed on woodland near Gowerton railway station, and many more could follow. The outline plans include a transport hub, plaza, green spaces, play areas and cycle paths. The hub would feature a park and ride with 50 spaces, bus stops and bike storage.
There would be a range of different house types, and flats in buildings up to four storeys high - all accessed by what would be a continuation of Fairwood Terrace to the west. The outline plans indicate that 15 per cent of the properties would be classed as affordable.
A spokesman for the developer, Persimmon Homes West Wales, said: "Our proposed development off Fairwood Terrace could deliver 230 quality homes for local families and first-time buyers, giving local people the opportunity to remain in the area, as well as creating jobs and boosting the local economy. Substantial investment would also be made available to improve public services in the area, and a number of new homes would be transferred to a local housing association for the provision of social housing for local people."- You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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The site is just under nine hectares and forms part of a much larger area which has been allocated for 716 homes under Swansea's local development plan - a long-term planning blueprint for the county. This larger development, stretching east towards Waunarlwydd, would include a primary school and commercial units.
A design and access statement submitted to Swansea Council on behalf of Persimmon Homes said a tinplate works once occupied the western section of the 230-home site. It described the area as densely vegetated and dotted by spoil heaps, and added: "Development of the site will necessitate the removal of a significant area of the self-seeded woodland and scrub but significant effort has been made to retain the mature woodland and remnant hedgerow trees where possible."
The scheme would, it said, be attractive and integrated sensitively into Gowerton. The town has a population of just over 5,000 people, two comprehensive schools and a primary. Meetings have taken place with Swansea Council planning officers and Transport for Wales about the proposals, and the Design Commission for Wales has reviewed the scheme.
A five-week public consultation took place in December and January. The design and access statement said Persimmon Homes had tried to address public concerns and comments where possible, and that they could be addressed further when detailed plans were submitted to the council.
The site lies to the north of the railway station, which is served by about two trains per hour into Swansea - a number which is said in the document to be likely to increase. The station was modernised and the rail track between Gowerton and Loughor doubled a few years ago as part of a £27 million transport project. Running parallel to the south of the railway line is Gorwydd Road, where 99 new homes are currently being built.
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