Major challenges: The city’s gradual regeneration has reached a plateau. Now it faces the revamp of its city centre
If the regeneration of Swansea’s city centre was compared to an attempt on Mount Everest, it would be at base camp. The walking boots have been worn in, the first relatively easier miles are over, and now it is catching its breath for the really challenging bit ahead.
SA1, the Welsh Assembly’s redevelopment of under-utilised land around the city’s former docks, is nearly halfway through its regeneration programme.
The private sector has invested or is committed to investing £150m. So far, 158 homes, 185,000 sq ft of offices and start-up space, together with a hotel, leisure space and two pedestrian bridges, have been completed. Around 9,490 sq ft of the office space is let.
Office space
None the less, there have been one or two blisters along the way. Market forces have led to a reduction in the amount of office space proposed, from 1m sq ft to 700,000 sq ft. And not all the space built has let quickly. Indeed, Admiral Insurance’s 68,000 sq ft prelet at £12.75 per sq ft was the only letting of consequence to fuel market talk for two years.
Naturally, there is a lot more to be done at SA1 (see panel, p138), but now the really tricky part of Swansea’s regeneration starts: regenerating the core city centre.
The city in the south-west of Wales was bombed heavily during the second world war, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone who will say something positive about the architecture that emerged in the years that followed.
The retail offer needs updating, having been dealt a blow when House of Fraser left in 2004. And, despite being only five to 10 minutes’ walk from the shopping area, the city’s most valuable asset – its waterfront and sandy beach – is cut off by the tide of cars streaming down dual carriageway Oystermouth Road.
Huw Thomas, joint managing partner at King Sturge, says: “The retail offer has declined over the past 20 years. It is facing stiff competition from Cardiff. The council is obviously going for a radical solution to improve the perception of Swansea as a regional centre.”
Swansea-based Roger Poolman, who is head of offices at Lambert Smith Hampton, agrees. He points out that the city centre also needs to gain a competitive edge over the very successful out-of-town retail market.
Swansea council and the Welsh Assembly Government has chosen a joint venture between Hammerson and Urban Splash for the major regeneration project, which takes in 32 acres of land.
The jv is proposing to develop 600,000 sq ft of retail, 1,000 homes, a hotel, leisure space and offices, as well as solving the connection problem by making Oystermouth Road more pedestrian friendly.
Land assembly
Fiona Rees, executive director at regeneration body Swansea Bay Futures, says: “Regeneration is at the early stages because there is a huge challenge ahead for the city centre. Hammerson and Urban Splash being chosen is a big positive, but there is a long way to go to deliver it.”
The project involves an element of land assembly, most notably the potential relocation of a Tesco supermarket which, together with its car park, occupies a key chunk of the site between the scheme’s retail core and the beach.
With completion lightly pencilled in for 2016, this year sees Hammerson and Urban Splash concentrating on tying up the legal documents and working on the masterplan.
Simon Betty, development executive for Hammerson, is understandably reluctant to pin down an exact time frame at this early stage. However, he says that a “broadly acceptable masterplan” should hopefully be ready by the end of the year.
Next year will be about gaining planning, and 2010 working on the phasing and delivery, he says.
“Part of the masterplanning and consultation process is looking at Tesco. If Swansea wants to become a vibrant city centre, then there are more vibrant uses. But we recognise the role Tesco plays, and will be working with all parties to find an acceptable solution,” he adds.
Question mark
Hammerson has landholdings elsewhere in Swansea, and one suggestion is that Tesco could be offered a site further east of the city centre or even out of town, but Betty would not be drawn on this.
Rowland Jones, of the eponymous local agent, believes the Tesco issue puts a question mark over delivery. “There are big players such as Tesco and the St David’s Centre which need to be brought on board,” he says. “For example, Tesco is very easy to get to as it is next to the bus station at the moment, so getting any move right will be a challenge.”
The market is approaching the next part of its steep uphill journey with a degree of confidence. Having developers of the calibre of Hammerson and Urban Splash involved is a comfort.
Poolman concludes: “Even if they meet half of their objectives, then it will be seen as successful.”
Development moves on apace at SA1
Cranes over residential schemes dominate the skyline around Swansea Bay with Quest Homes, Bellway and other housebuilders constructing some 395 homes, with another 424 in the pipeline.
Quest Homes’ development will top 11 storeys when completed, but will not be the tallest residential scheme on the city’s waterfront. That honour goes to the 29-flat Ferrara Tower at neighbouring Meridian Quay, which on its completion in November will be Wales’ tallest building at 28 storeys, but is not part of SA1.
Office development continues, with 45,000 sq ft about to be completed and another 90,000 sq ft under construction. These are a mixture of regular office space, such as the Cyprium scheme, incubator units provided by the Technium project, and serviced offices.
Work is also due to start on the Princes Dock, which is earmarked for a 400-berth marina. Outline planning permission has been secured.
