A disused oil refinery in Llandarcy in south west Wales is to be transformed into a £500m urban village in what the Welsh Development Agency (WDA) claims is the largest project of its kind undertaken in the country.
The scheme, which was forged by a public/private sector partnership involving the WDA, BP Amoco, Neath Port Talbot council and The Prince’s Foundation, aims to create a thriving, self-contained community. Up to 1,800 homes and associated commercial and retail development will be built over a 15-year period, while an estimated 2,000 jobs will be created.
Plans include the decommissioning and redevelopment of the former BP Amoco oil refinery site, which is situated at the junction of the Heads of the Valleys road and the M4. The site covers 550ha (1,359 acres) and a further 101ha (250 acres) of surrounding land is available for redevelopment.
Llandarcy is one of 10 sites in the UK chosen to receive Objective 1 funding, and the venture could attract up to £500m of investment over a 20-year period.
Sir David Rowe-Beddoe, chairman of the WDA, said: “It’ll be one of the largest, new, sustainable development projects undertaken in the UK and will pave the way for a major expansion of employment opportunities. The scale of the project is enormous; certainly the largest and most important ever undertaken in Wales.”
A draft masterplan will be drawn up by September, after which a public consultation process will take place.
EGi News 13/07/00
