Row over city waterfront park development
Liberal Democrat councillor and Senedd candidate Sam Bennett has claimed that residents had been promised a park would be delivered in SA1 for the past decade – but despite promises from the Labour-run council that work would be started in the coming year on multiple occasions, every single date has come and passed.
Labour Council leader, Rob Stewart meanwhile has criticised Cllr Bennet’s comments as “pretty disingenuous and misleading”.
Cllr Bennett says that since being elected in 2022 he has met with officers and has been “continuously on the case asking for updates”, most recently meeting with the Cabinet Member where assurances were made that the park would be started in May. Cllr Bennett said that at the end of May no parks have been started.
The Lib Dem Senedd candidate added that When SA1 was developed as part of planning £1million was put aside for 3 new parks in SA1. More than 10 years later, all three locations remain undeveloped and untouched, and are being used as builders compounds.
Cllr Bennett said: “The situations with the Parks in SA1 is simply a disgrace. In the 2022 elections Labour made big fanfare they had the £1million for the parks in an effort to persuade the residents of SA1 to vote for them.
“Three years down the line, and residents still do not have even 1 park. I spoke to one couple who moved to SA1 to raise their young family, and are now disappointed that their children are growing up, and are unlikely to benefit from a new park.”
Fellow Senedd Candidate and Welsh Lib Dem Leader Jane Dodds MS also weighed into the argument saying: “There are very few parks in this area of Swansea, and many people live in flats or town houses without gardens, new parks would create precious outdoor space for residents, and I am joining Cllr Bennett in calling for the Labour Council to get on with delivering these parks.”
Council leader, Rob Stewart has criticised Cllr Bennett’s statements, saying work on two parks in SA1 were well under way and that the Lib Dem councillor had been kept up to date on progress.
The council leader suggested that the Lib Dem’s criticism was part of the start of his Senedd election campaign.
Cllr Rob Stewart said: “As the facts and evidence confirm, he has been kept up to date through out this process, and knew full well that £1m was being invested for new parks in his ward in SA1.
“This is on top of the £8m we have invested to upgrade play areas all across Swansea.
“I’m not sure what Cllr Bennett’s motivation is, perhaps it’s and attempt to kick off his Senedd election campaign, or maybe he thought he was being clever and could look like a miracle worker, by asking for something he knew was already coming.
“I suspect Cllr Bennett will struggle to point to many personal successes from his time as a councillor, or to be able to draw on successes from his Liberal Democrat colleagues when they ran Swansea (metro failure, slip bridge) but trying to cover this by misrepresenting the good work done in good faith by council officers is pretty low!”
Meanwhile Swansea Council have released an update on the progress of the two proposed parks in SA1.
Artist’s impression of the new SA1 parks(Image: Swansea Council)Artist’s impression of the new SA1 parks
(Image: Swansea Council)
The council says that work has started transforming two patches of waste ground in SA1 into what it says will become thriving urban community parks, between them boasting play areas, nature trails, meeting spots, events space and a pump track.
The project is being financed by income from developers known as section 106 funds and will cost in the region of £1m to deliver. The council says that work has already started and planting will take place later in the year, with the parks due to be fully open to the public by early next year.
The larger of the two parks is sited along Langdon Road, at Prince of Wales Dock near The Village Hotel. It’s features will include a community play area, including play equipment for children of all ages, a basketball space and play facilities for children with disabilities; a space for informal play and sports and space for socialising and holding events.
Benches and seating areas along with trees, extensive planting beds, flowering hedgerows and other green spaces to enjoy, promoting wildlife and insect life and providing new habitats also form part of the plans.
The second park will be situated on land between Langdon Road and the corner of Prince of Wales Dock. Its attractions will feature a brand new state-of-the-art pump track, open green space, space for wildflowers, hedgerows and trees and habitat support for insects.
Rob Stewart added: “Amy Dillwyn Park was the first urban park created in Swansea for a century. Now we’re building on its success by creating two more parks in the heart of SA1 that will cater for the whole community.
“These two new green gems will encourage residents, families and young people to get out and about, boost residents’ enjoyment of the place where they live and promote wellbeing.
“The extra green space will also promote nature and biodiversity in the heart of the busy SA1 area and they are the result of public consultation and collaboration from teams across the council.”
He continued: “Since the pandemic we’ve invested £8m in more than 60 new play areas and committed a further £3m towards a new generation of skate and BMX facilities.
“That’s on top of a number of new 3G pitches, £10m for new sports changing spaces and other community improvements and there’s even a new outdoor gym in Trallwn just opened for locals to enjoy.
“These two amazing new parks as well as the Amy Dilwyn Park are vital investments in our communities that will make a difference.”
Plans for the new SA1 parks(Image: Swansea Council)Plans for the new SA1 parks
(Image: Swansea Council)
Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration, Events and Tourism, said: “Part of our innovative approach and commitment to promoting nature and biodiversity sustainability means we are reusing soils excavated from other Swansea sites, including clean silts and soils from the Singleton Boating Lake.
“This extra funding for open space improvements is unprecedented. It’s happening because it’s what the residents of Swansea have told us they want and the feedback we’ve had so far demonstrates people are noticing the difference it makes for them, their families and communities.
“We’re confident that these great new places will be welcomed by residents of SA1 and that locals and visitors alike will work with us to keep the facilities in top shape for years to come.”
#CllrRobStewart #CllrRobertFrancisDavies #featured #Parks #playground #SA1 #SamBennett #Swansea #WelshLabour #WelshLiberalDemocrats
