#cllrchrisholley — Public Fediverse posts

SWANSEA.COM STADIUM: Sale to the Swans agreed — as council explains why the price must stay secret

Swansea City are to own their own ground.

Swansea Council‘s cabinet agreed unanimously on Thursday to sell the freehold of the Swansea.com Stadium to the club — a deal the Swans say will safeguard their future.

What the council is getting for it is still not public.

When the cabinet papers were published last week, we reported that the price would be discussed behind closed doors. On Thursday, the council explained why.

Chief legal officer Lucy Moore told the meeting that legal advice had been given because the deal has not been finalised — negotiations are still in place, so any figures are “at this moment in time commercially sensitive”.

Council leader Rob Stewart said the council had approached the sale on the basis of getting a fair open-market valuation for the stadium — “we’ve achieved a sale price which is in excess of that, and I think that’s important for to be understood in the public domain.”

There are “other elements linked to the deal that could bring further sums of money to the taxpayer if certain factors come to pass”, he added — the cabinet report tied additional payments to promotion.

‘Manchester City play in a stadium owned by Manchester Council’

Opposition leader Cllr Chris Holley used question time to press for an explanation of how buying the ground actually helps the Swans on the pitch.

“One of the most successful teams in Europe is Manchester City,” he said, “and Manchester City play in a stadium that is owned by Manchester Council.”

He had more examples: Hull City Council built a stadium that hosts both a football club and a rugby league club on long leases, and he pointed to QPR and Oxford. Paris Saint-Germain, he noted, play in a ground built by the Paris council.

“If they want to invest in the team, that’s fair enough,” Holley said. “If they want to buy the asset, you know, there is always speculation that the asset is going to be used as a bargaining chip to borrow against.”

“This is a substantial asset belonging to the council, belonging to the people of Swansea, and I think we need an explanation.”

Once it is sold, he warned, “we lose all control over it, and then it becomes part and parcel of city football club.”

‘I don’t profess to be an expert’

Stewart said the whole world of sport had changed significantly since the days when the stadium was conceived, back in 2003.

Control of the asset would let the Swans invest in and around it in a way they would “probably be more reluctant to do if they were under a lease” — where, he said, they would be “only meeting their obligations, not doing anything further”.

It would also give the club’s investors “the confidence to invest in the club itself… with the knowledge that they also own the asset”.

Clubs have moved on from wanting “just… a really good experience for the 90 minutes of the game” to something offering a fan experience over a much longer period, the leader said — pointing to Wrexham’s Netflix-driven rise as an example of how differently clubs now chase sponsors and money.

But pressed on how ownership improves what happens on the field, Stewart deferred: “I don’t profess to be an expert in… all the machinations of how the Swans, the football and the premiership and all of the structures work.”

The Swans, he suggested, could “give you a much better answer” — and would be happy to discuss it with Holley directly.

What the council keeps — and what it needs

The authority would keep planning control over whatever the Swans bring forward for the site, Stewart said.

He also linked the capital receipt to the council’s own finances — pointing to risks its chief finance officer had set out earlier in the same meeting, where a £13m provision for equal pay claims left the general reserve below its legally certified minimum. “Ensuring that we have as much ability and flexibility within our finances is really important,” Stewart said.

He reminded the meeting that the arrangement which ran for years after the stadium opened “didn’t deliver the people of Swansea any revenue back” — until the lease was changed, the Swans became lead tenant and the Ospreys a sub-tenant, and a steady income stream began for the first time.

Stewart said Swansea benefited by at least around £60m a year when the Swans were in the Premier League, and that the sum would be significantly higher now if they returned.

“We don’t like giving up assets if we don’t have to,” he said. “But I think there is an opportunity here and we should probably entertain that opportunity today.”

Seconding, Cllr David Hopkins said that from his experience of working with American investors, “they like the asset, they like the ownership” — and that the sale should not be seen as the loss of an asset but as one “going to be expanded by investment”, alongside the Skyline and Hafod-Morfa Copperworks developments taking shape nearby.

The recommendation was carried unanimously. The commercial detail was then taken in closed session, with the public and press excluded.

What the club says

Chief executive Tom Gorringe, speaking before the decision, called it “a highly significant moment” for the club after more than two decades at the ground.

“Owning the Swansea.com Stadium is of major strategic benefit to the football club, and we look forward to completing the purchase in due course.”

The club has said it “makes sense operationally and financially” to hold the asset in its own right — a move that “will safeguard the future of the club”.

Built by the council for £27m and opened as the Liberty Stadium in 2005, the ground has been the Swans’ alone since the Ospreys left for a rebuilt St Helen’s.

The decision comes days before the Swans open their Championship season at Stoke — a campaign in which promotion would now pay the council a bonus too.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA.COM STADIUM: Council set to sell the Swans their home — with the price kept behind closed doors
The cabinet papers we reported last week.

SWANS ACCOUNTS: £21.6m loss as owners pump in £21m to keep club afloat
The club’s finances before the celebrity investors came on board.

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans
What the club already wants to do with the ground.

Work begins as Ospreys unveil St Helen’s redevelopment plans
The stadium’s other long-standing tenant moves on.

#CllrChrisHolley #CllrDavidHopkins #CllrRobStewart #featured #LibertyStadium #SwanseaCityFC #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaComStadium

SWANSEA FERRY: Who pays, where does it dock, and how does it hit 60 knots? — councillors sharpen their questions as leader hails “remarkable” support

The two councillors who forced the Swansea ferry report into the open have set out the questions they want answered when its authors face a scrutiny panel — from who pays for the prototype to whether a 60-knot vessel could dock on the Devon coast at all.

The council-funded report behind the proposed crossing was published in full last week, projecting £15 fares, up to 800,000 visitors a year and a vessel faster than the current world record holder.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Chris Holley — a long-standing supporter of a Bristol Channel crossing — is calling the report into his scrutiny panel, with Ocean Prime Industries invited to answer for it in person.

Cllr Holley told Swansea Bay News that nobody can answer the questions hanging over the plan “until this company can come in front of my own scrutiny board”.

His list starts with the vessel itself: how a ferry reaches a 60-knot top speed — faster than any commercial ferry ever built.

Then the money: who funds the working prototype promised within the next two years — the councils, or the Welsh Government? Cllr Holley believes funding for a project of this scale must come from central government, not local taxpayers.

Then the destination: no berthing infrastructure currently exists on the Devon and Somerset side, he said, and building it would cost millions.

And then history. When Swansea last had a ferry — the Cork crossing — much of its traffic simply “turned right to go onto the M4 and left Swansea”, he said, questioning whether 800,000 arrivals would translate into a visitor boom for the city rather than driving straight past it.

He also wants answers on how passengers without cars would connect onwards by bus. A date for the scrutiny session has yet to be set.

Cllr Brigitte Rowlands — an independent (unaffiliated) councillor, whose written question to full council forced the report’s publication — said the council leader should be “honest and open with the residents of Swansea” about the project.

She said a vessel of the size described “would struggle to dock on the Devon coastline”.

“In principle the idea is very appealing,” she said. “The reality is going to be difficult to achieve.”

Scrutiny of the plan, she added, is essential “so the taxpayer in Swansea has good value for money should the project ever set sail”.

“What real research has been done? Who has been in discussion regarding the project on both sides of the water? So many unanswered questions.”

The question of engagement across the water is not new. In March last year, Francesca O’Brien — then a Conservative councillor, now the Reform UK Member of the Senedd for Gŵyr Abertawe — told the council chamber that her group at the time had contacted Devon’s council directly about the project, and that its cabinet member was not aware of any recent correspondence.

Devon was consulting on its strategic transport investment plan at the time. “No pun intended — we’ve missed the boat on that consultation over there,” she said. “That’s a great shame.”

She asked how serious the council was about the project and who the stakeholders in its working group were — saying that as far as she could see, the councils on the English side had had no correspondence since January 2022.

Labour council leader Cllr Rob Stewart told her then that the council was “very keen” for the ferry to go ahead — “but of course we don’t control all of the elements to make it happen” — pointing to the technology, a suitable vessel and port infrastructure on both sides of the channel.

The council’s chief executive told the same meeting that no commercial operators had come forward when the project was first explored, and that the consultation was designed to assess demand before going back to the market.

On the hydrogen ambition, the leader acknowledged a “chicken and egg” problem — not enough demand yet to build a refuelling network — saying the hydrogen option “is the aim eventually, but we’re probably away from that at this point in time”.

They are not the only ones with questions. Uplands Party councillor Cllr Stuart Rice said the report’s mistaken claim that the science fiction author Isaac Asimov backed a Minehead pier project — the town’s celebrated writer is in fact Arthur C. Clarke — summed the document up. In March, he had asked whether the plan was “more of a fairy story than a ferry story”.

“The reference in the report to Isaac Asimov truly shows what a science fiction this ‘Ferry’ story is,” he said. “Can we trust its findings given some of the statements made and figures included in the report?”

“I will continue to ask questions about this and welcome the scrutiny it is due to receive — as it certainly deserves it. We need to make sure that public money is spent wisely and not wasted on chasing any more white elephants and pipe dreams.”

For his part, Cllr Stewart points to the strength of public feeling behind the idea.

“The response has been remarkable,” he wrote in the report’s foreword. “More than 4,300 people and organisations took part in the consultation, with overwhelming support for exploring the idea further.”

“What stands out most clearly from the findings is the level of enthusiasm for a transport option that could significantly reduce journey times by up to half or better, while avoiding congestion on major road routes such as the M4 and M5.”

“People also recognise the importance of developing cleaner forms of transport that support our environmental ambitions and help tackle climate change.”

The consultation ran from October 2024 to February 2025 through the project’s own website, with 4,396 people and organisations taking part and 97.8 per cent expressing support.

Swansea Bay News put questions about the report’s figures — including a carbon-saving claim that appears to overstate the true number by a factor of one hundred — to Swansea Council and Ocean Prime last week. Responses are still awaited.

The scrutiny session will be the first time the report’s claims are formally examined.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA FERRY: Report promising 800,000 visitors and £600m heads for scrutiny — as its own numbers face questions
The full report behind the crossing — and the figures that don’t add up.

FERRY FARCE? Doubts grow over Swansea crossing as ‘fairy story’ jibe lands
The March council exchange where the first cracks in the plan appeared.

Ferry plan gathers pace as 98% back Swansea crossing
The consultation result at the heart of the report’s claims of public support.

#BristolChannelFerry #CllrBrigitteRowlands #CllrChrisHolley #CllrRobStewart #CllrStuartRice #featured #Ferry #FrancescaOBrienMS #homepage #OceanPrime #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaFerry

SWANSEA FERRY: Report promising 800,000 visitors and £600m heads for scrutiny — as its own numbers face questions

The report behind the proposed Swansea to south-west England ferry has been published in full for the first time — and it is heading straight for a council scrutiny panel.

The OceanJet Line consultation report, funded by Swansea Council through a £24,999.95 Shared Prosperity Fund grant, was released as an appendix to Thursday’s full council papers.

It sets out an ambitious vision: hydrogen-electric vessels with a target top speed of 60 knots, fares from £15, 20 sailings a day, and a crossing from Swansea to north Devon in around an hour. Ocean Prime Industries, the company behind the plan, says it aims to build a small working prototype this year, with the first vessel in service by 2030.

The performance target is unprecedented. The fastest ferry ever to enter service — the gas turbine-powered HSC Francisco — holds the Guinness World Record at 58.1 knots. The world’s first commercial hydrogen ferry, launched in San Francisco in 2024, carries 75 passengers at a top speed of 15 knots.

In the report, Ocean Prime chief executive Dave Sampson writes that the project “is no longer just about a ferry”, describing it as “a nationally significant strategic infrastructure initiative, on a par with HS2”.

Council leader Cllr Rob Stewart contributed a foreword, describing the response to the consultation as “remarkable” — 4,396 people and organisations took part in the online survey, run through the project’s own website, with 97.8 per cent expressing support.

At full maturity, with a fleet of eight vessels, the report projects more than £600 million a year in visitor economy benefits for Swansea — built on an assumption of up to 800,000 new visitors annually from a single vessel.

But some of the report’s own figures do not appear to add up.

The report claims a single vessel would avoid “around 290,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year” by replacing car journeys. Using the report’s own numbers — roughly 800,000 car journeys replaced, at the 3.6kg of CO2 per journey it cites from Department for Transport data — the total is around 2,900 tonnes a year, one hundredth of the figure claimed.

The report also names the science fiction author Isaac Asimov as a supporter of the Millennium Pier project in Minehead. Asimov died in 1992 — before the Minehead Pier 2000 Association, whose £5 million lottery-funded rebuild plan was later rejected, had even been formed, according to the National Piers Society.

Minehead’s celebrated science fiction son is in fact Arthur C. Clarke, the 2001: A Space Odyssey author born in the town in 1917.

Swansea Bay News has put the figures to Ocean Prime and Swansea Council. The council asked for time until Monday to answer the questions; both responses will be reported when they arrive.

The report’s publication came in response to a written question from Cllr Brigitte Rowlands, who told the council the feasibility study remained incomplete, no destination ports had been identified, no vessel technology research had been undertaken, and there was no evidence of UK or Welsh Government involvement in planning on the English side of the channel.

Cllr Stewart’s written answer said engagement had included discussions with UK Government and stakeholders on the English side, and that research into the vessel concept had been undertaken — while conceding that “no final technical solution has been confirmed”.

In the chamber, Cllr Rowlands said the response had not really answered her question, and that the project did not seem to be progressing very far.

Cllr Stewart said the response was factual, stressed the ferry was not a council-operated scheme but one of many the council was actively supporting, and said a project of this scale — involving potential port developments on both sides of the estuary and a new fleet of hydrogen-powered vessels — could not be delivered overnight.

Cllr Stuart Rice pressed the leader for examples of similar schemes Ocean Prime had successfully delivered, and asked of the HS2 comparison: “Do they mean HS2 to Leeds or Manchester?” In March, Rice asked whether the plan was “more of a fairy story than a ferry story”.

Cllr Stewart said the individuals involved had expertise in marine and submarine design, but that he was not sighted on what they had previously delivered. The HS2 comparison, he said, was with the original concept of the line: cutting journey times — a three-hour drive to the south west against a crossing of about an hour.

Public records shed some light. Companies House shows Ocean Prime Industries Ltd was incorporated in August 2022, is registered to an address in St Albans, Hertfordshire, and lists its nature of business as “business and domestic software development”. The company has two directors — Mr Sampson, and Jami Buckley, whose country of residence is recorded as Canada.

There was a history lesson too, with Cllr Wendy Lewis recalling the council’s last venture into ferries — a reference to millions handed over when Swansea last backed a crossing to Ireland.

Liberal Democrat group leader Cllr Chris Holley — a long-standing supporter of a Bristol Channel crossing — said there was a mountain of questions to ask, and confirmed he would be calling the report into a scrutiny meeting, with its authors invited to attend and answer them.

Cllr Holley said he had believed the report was produced for the council and should have appeared on a council agenda in its own right.

The scrutiny session will be the first time the report’s claims are formally examined since the hydrogen ferry was first announced. A public consultation opened in 2024, with 98 per cent backing reported earlier this year.

Burry Port has emerged as a surprise potential landing site — though Carmarthenshire Council said in March it had held no discussions on specific proposals relating to the county.

For a plan its backers compare to HS2, the scrutiny room may be where the ferry’s future is decided — fairy story or not.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

FERRY FARCE? Doubts grow over Swansea crossing as ‘fairy story’ jibe lands
The March council exchange where the first cracks in the plan appeared.

Ferry plan gathers pace as 98% back Swansea crossing
The consultation result at the heart of the report’s claims of public support.

Burry Port ferry harbour emerges as surprise option in cross-channel plan
How the Carmarthenshire harbour quietly entered the crossing conversation.

#BristolChannelFerry #CllrBrigitteRowlands #CllrChrisHolley #CllrRobStewart #CllrStuartRice #Ferry #OceanPrime #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaFerry

FELINDRE: ‘A real let-down’ — two council leaders, years apart, share the same frustration over stalled flagship site

Parc Felindre, the 16-hectare business park north of junction 46 of the M4, sits on the site of the former Felindre Tinplate Works — once part of the industrial machine that made Swansea a powerhouse. The works were decommissioned in 1989 and demolished in 1996.

The brownfield site was cleared and remediated under a joint venture between the council and the Welsh Government, and allocated for offices and industry. Years on, much of it remains undeveloped, and business land is still being actively marketed.

The frustration was laid bare at a meeting of the council’s scrutiny panel this week, in a rare moment of cross-party agreement between the current council leader and one of his predecessors.

The entrance monument at Parc Felindre business park, north of Swansea. (Image: Parc Felindre)

Cllr Chris Holley, leader of the official opposition group of Liberal Democrats and Independents, and a former leader of the council, said the site had been “a real let-down to Welsh Government and ourselves”.

He pointed to the scale of public money already sunk into it, noting the works had been demolished and more than £25 million spent preparing the land — only for the bulk of it to remain empty, save for two warehouses and a small development.

Holley said the council needed to think hard about what the site was originally intended to deliver when it was cleared, more than 25 years ago, when the plan had been for factory units under the old Welsh Development Agency.

During his own time as leader, he said, around half a dozen interested parties had come forward to look at the site and set out what they wanted to do with it — but none had ever signed the paperwork to actually build.

Council leader Rob Stewart agreed the site had been a disappointment, and confirmed the authority was still fielding interest — but that none of it had so far proved a good fit.

He said the site’s existing power supply, a legacy of its industrial past, had attracted repeated interest from companies wanting to build data centres of varying sizes.

But Stewart said such proposals carried two problems: they would require a significant reconfiguration of the works already on the site, and data centres “don’t tend to create a huge amount of jobs” — a key consideration for land originally intended to generate employment.

The challenge, he said, was that while there had been genuine interest in doing something with the site, the proposals had not been compatible with either its current configuration or the council’s ambitions for it.

Stewart said he and officers had held fresh discussions with Welsh Government officials about how to “unlock” the site, and that a decision was needed on whether to stick with the original employment-led vision or change track and pursue different uses.

Parc Felindre was one of the major strategic sites earmarked in Swansea’s Local Development Plan — part of a blueprint that promised thousands of new homes and jobs across the city but has been beset by delays.

Alongside the employment land, there are long-standing plans for a brand-new village on adjoining land owned by the Welsh Government.

Junction 46 of the M4, with the Parc Felindre site spread out across the hillside beyond. (Image: Parc Felindre)

The scheme, Pentre Felindre, was first proposed in 2018 and envisages around 800 homes — a fifth of them affordable — together with a primary school, shops, a village hall and recreation space, built on land next to the business park.

Progress, like that on the employment site beside it, has been slow. But the scheme resurfaced at this week’s meeting, when a panel member asked for an update on the Welsh Government-led housing plan.

The regeneration report before councillors says a proposal for Pentre Felindre has now been put forward by CODI, the housing group formed earlier this year by the merger of Pobl and Linc.

Officers told the meeting that CODI had been asked to update its proposal, after which it would be shared among the joint venture partners behind the site — the council and the Welsh Government.

The DPD distribution centre, the first occupier at Parc Felindre, with the site’s empty plots behind it. (Image: Parc Felindre)

Back on the employment land, there are some signs of activity. The parcel delivery firm DPD became the park’s first occupier, building an automated distribution centre due to open this year.

And the regeneration report says heads of terms have been agreed for the disposal of two further plots — 6B and 7B — for start-up units for small and medium-sized businesses, with the scheme finalised and lawyers instructed.

It is a modest tally for a site that once carried far greater hopes. In the 1970s, the Felindre Tinplate Works employed more than 2,500 people.

For now, though, the bulk of the Felindre site remains what it has been for a quarter of a century — cleared, connected, and largely empty.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

7,000 homes promised, just 300 built: Swansea’s housing blueprint falters
An in-depth look at why delivery has stalled across the city’s strategic development sites.

Wales’ biggest housing group gets new name as Linc and Pobl merge to form CODI
The merger that created the group now behind the Pentre Felindre housing proposal.

Labour signed a deal to move Welsh Government offices to the city centre — Plaid won’t say if they’ll honour it
Another Swansea regeneration site caught between two governments.

#CllrChrisHolley #CllrRobStewart #CodiGroup #dataCentre #Felindre #LocalDevelopmentPlan #PentreFelindre #planning #SwanseaCouncil

SWANSEA: Labour signed a deal to move Welsh Government offices from Penllergaer to the city centre. Plaid won’t say if they’ll honour it.

A pre-election agreement to base Welsh Government staff in Swansea’s new city centre public sector hub is hanging in the balance — after the incoming Plaid Cymru administration said it would review its office estate as a new government, with no decisions yet taken on any specific sites.

Swansea Council confirmed it had been in advanced talks with the previous Labour Welsh Government to secure a formal and physical presence for Welsh Government staff in the new five-storey hub being built at the former St David’s Shopping Centre site — and that letters of intent had been exchanged before the Senedd election.

A council spokesperson said: “We were engaging with the Welsh Government prior to the Senedd elections to look at options for them to have a formal and physical presence in Swansea city centre, which supports our regeneration activities and their investment in town and city centres. Now that a new government is in place we will open up this dialogue again with the hope of concluding discussions as soon as we are able to.”

Artist’s impression of the ‘public sector hub’ office development which will become the new home for Swansea Council
(Image: Swansea Council)

The Welsh Government did not confirm the pre-election agreement, but said no decisions had been taken on future accommodation arrangements, including whether any specific sites would be used or how much space might be occupied.

A Welsh Government spokesperson said: “As a new administration, we will take the opportunity to review our office estate as part of good financial and asset management, and we are committed to doing so on a regular basis. As part of that work, a range of potential options will be explored with public sector partners, including different ways of using existing buildings. Any decision on the Welsh Government estate will be for Ministers.”

The proposed deal was understood to have involved the Welsh Government relocating staff from its existing offices near junction 47 of the M4 at Penllergaer to the new city centre hub, with the council potentially taking on the Penllergaer building as part of the arrangement.

Welsh Government Offices in Penllergaer
(Image: Google Maps)

That proposal drew pointed criticism from Cllr Chris Holley, the Liberal Democrat leader of the opposition on Swansea Council — and a man with direct experience of the building in question. Cllr Holley led the council between 2004 and 2012, and was at the helm when the Welsh Development Agency was abolished in 2006 and its Penllergaer office was transferred to the Welsh Government.

He said the building had struggled to attract occupants ever since, arguing it had become a liability for the Welsh Government following the WDA’s departure. He said he understood blue light services had already been approached about taking the space and had declined.

“Yes of course [I support Welsh Government jobs in the city centre] — but not at any cost,” Cllr Holley said. “They have lots of offices around Wales, yet we have to swap one for another.”

Welsh Government Offices in Penllergaer
(Image: Google Maps)

He also questioned the logic of the council taking on premises that a large organisation had been unable to fill. “If it didn’t work for the Welsh Government, how is it going to work for Swansea Council?” he said.

Welsh Government figures show around 400 staff have their location recorded as Penllergaer — but average daily attendance at the building was running at just 10% in March 2025, well below the two-days-a-week expectation for civil servants. Across its 20 sites in Wales, the Welsh Government employs around 5,700 people at a total annual cost of £24.5 million.

The Penllergaer site has its own complicated history. Swansea Council itself once had offices in the area — the former Lliw Valley Borough Council building, which the authority sold in 2016 partly to address a budget deficit. That site was sold to Carmarthenshire developer Enzo Developments, who later received planning permission for 80 homes and a preserved Grade II listed equatorial observatory — though Enzo’s Homes subsequently went into liquidation on a separate development in 2025.

The public sector hub at the heart of the proposed deal is the first building in the new Porth Copr district — the area that will eventually replace the former St David’s Shopping Centre car park, knitting together Copr Bay, St Mary’s Square and the Quadrant. Work on the site is already under way, with the hub designed to anchor public sector workers in the city centre and generate daily footfall for traders.

The council’s own commitment to the hub is separately driven by its planned departure from the seafront Civic Centre — which received a £20 million UK Government funding boost in March to support its redevelopment for housing, leisure and commercial uses.

Meanwhile, the Penllergaer business park has its own new chapter under way nearby — with a major logistics depot, understood to be an Amazon last-mile delivery hub, approved on an adjacent site in March, already raising questions about the capacity of junction 47 to absorb the additional traffic.

Council leader Rob Stewart was contacted for comment.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Work begins at former St David’s site for major new office development
Site investigation works are under way at the former St David’s Shopping Centre as the new public sector hub moves forward.

£20m boost for Swansea Civic Centre days after MPs call for action
UK Government funding confirmed for the redevelopment of the seafront Civic Centre site.

Giant distribution warehouse approved next to M4 — but will Junction 47 grind to a halt?
A major last-mile delivery hub approved at Penllergaer Business Park raises serious traffic concerns.

Carmarthenshire house builder goes into liquidation leaving half-built development
Enzo’s Homes, which bought the former Lliw Valley council offices site at Penllergaer, went into liquidation in 2025.

#CllrChrisHolley #featured #officeDevelopment #Penllergaer #PlaidCymru #PublicSectorHub #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #WDA #WelshDevelopmentAgency #WelshGovernment #WelshLabour

FERRY FARCE? Doubts grow over Swansea crossing as ‘fairy story’ jibe lands

The proposed Bristol Channel crossing – linking Swansea with south-west England – has been talked up as a game-changer for travel and jobs.

But cracks are starting to show.

At a tense council meeting this week, opposition councillor Stuart Rice questioned whether the scheme was realistic at all, asking leader Rob Stewart if it was “more of a fairy story than a ferry story”.

The comments come just days after a new report suggested the idea had a “compelling” economic case and overwhelming public backing, with strong support recorded for a Swansea-based service.

The proposal centres on a high-speed, low-emission ferry capable of carrying hundreds of passengers and vehicles across the Bristol Channel – with backers claiming it could slash journey times and ease pressure on major roads.

But despite the optimism, key details remain missing.

No ports have been confirmed.

No vessel has been designed.

And no firm agreements are in place with partners across the water.

Even Swansea Council has admitted in responses seen by reporters that no formal discussions have taken place with councils in Devon or Somerset in recent years.

That raises serious questions about how close – or how far – the plan really is.

Cllr Stewart defended the project, insisting it was worth exploring.

“I don’t think there is anything really to knock on this one,” he said, arguing journey times could be cut dramatically and that Swansea’s appeal would draw visitors.

He also stressed the ferry would not just be about passengers – but freight too, boosting its viability.

But others are not convinced.

Liberal Democrat group leader Chris Holley backed the idea in principle but warned there were practical issues – including whether vessels could even dock close to the city centre.

He pointed to past problems with ferry schemes, including vessels being unable to pass through Swansea’s lock gates.

Meanwhile, concerns have also been raised that passengers could simply drive straight out of the city via the M4 – limiting the economic boost locally.

Adding to the uncertainty, the report behind the plans admits major hurdles remain.

These include dealing with the Bristol Channel’s extreme tidal range, designing specialist vessels, and building the necessary port infrastructure.

And in a new twist, Burry Port has quietly emerged as a potential landing site – despite there being no detail yet on how a ferry could operate from a harbour known for having one of the highest tidal ranges in the world.

Now, Carmarthenshire Council has confirmed it has not been involved in any talks.

Director Ainsley Williams said: “There have been no discussions on specific proposals relating directly to Carmarthenshire at this time.

“We remain open to further discussions should any formal proposals come forward.”

That lack of engagement will raise eyebrows given the scale of what’s being suggested.

Elsewhere, questions remain about where the ferry would land in England, with Ilfracombe already ruled out and larger ports like Bideford mentioned as alternatives.

For now, the ferry remains firmly in the “idea” stage.

And while supporters point to potential benefits like cutting congestion on the M4 and M5 and boosting tourism, critics say the fundamentals are still missing.

For people across Swansea Bay, it leaves a simple question.

Is this the start of a bold new transport link – or just another grand plan that never leaves the drawing board?

What do you think – ferry future or fairy tale?

#BristolChannelFerry #BurryPort #BurryPortHarbour #Carmarthenshire #CllrChrisHolley #CllrRobStewart #CllrStuartRice #Ferry #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaFerry

M&S ROW: Council leader accuses Senedd candidate of using job losses for ‘deplorable’ election campaign

Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart has hit back at political opponents over the closure of the city’s M&S store, calling it “deplorable” that a Senedd candidate is using the potential loss of 90 local jobs for his election campaign.

The blistering attack comes in response to criticism from Liberal Democrat Senedd candidate Sam Bennett and Swansea Lib Dem leader Cllr Chris Holley, who yesterday questioned the council’s regeneration priorities in the wake of the M&S closure announcement.

In a statement, the Labour leader launched a full-throated defence of his administration’s record while attacking the previous Liberal Democrat-led council.

“It’s deplorable that Cllr Sam Bennett is using the closure of the store with the potential loss of 90 local jobs to try and further his Senedd election campaign,” Cllr Stewart said.

The attack is politically charged, as both men are candidates in the new Gŵyr Abertawe Senedd constituency for the 2026 election. Cllr Stewart is ranked second on the Welsh Labour list, while Cllr Bennett is the lead candidate for the Welsh Liberal Democrats.

He also criticised his Lib Dem counterpart, stating, “It’s also disappointing to see Cllr Holley doesn’t have confidence in Swansea, or its traders and businesses.”

Cllr Stewart claimed his opponents “have not openly supported any of the developments in Swansea delivered over the last 11 years” and are “critics of the £1.3bn city deal.”

He also revealed that M&S has not given up on the city, stating, “M&S are actively looking for a different location in Swansea and have acknowledged the positive impact the regeneration is having.”

He then turned his fire on the record of the previous Liberal Democrat administration, which was led by Cllr Holley for much of its tenure, and controlled Swansea Council from 2004-2012.

“The Lib Dems introduced the disastrous bendy bus, continually dug up the Kingsway and introduced the mad road system, and absolutely failed to invest and support local businesses to grow,” he said.

“They have no ambition for Swansea.”

#CllrChrisHolley #CllrRobStewart #MarksAndSpencer #OxfordStreet #retail #SamBennett #SeneddElection #storeClosure #WelshLabour #WelshLiberalDemocrats

Politicians demand action as M&S closure sparks row over council “vanity projects”

Liberal Democrats have accused Swansea Council‘s Labour leadership of making “ridiculous” assurances about the impact of multimillion-pound regeneration schemes, pointing to recent claims that the new library would drive footfall to M&S.

Meanwhile, Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams MS has written to the Welsh Government demanding support for the 92 staff facing redundancy, describing the closure as a “sickeningly familiar story” of high streets losing historic stores.

The political fallout comes just days after M&S confirmed it will shut its Oxford Street store later this year, ending nearly a century of trading in the city centre.

Welsh Liberal Democrat lead Senedd candidate Cllr Sam Bennett said: “Time and time again the Labour Council Leader has assured us that the massive city centre projects would be the saving of the high street, and this announcement raises big questions.

“At the most recent Council meeting the Leader went as far to say how people were celebrating that the move of the library meant they could now go to M&S, this now sounds ridiculous.”

Cllr Chris Holley, Leader of the Opposition on Swansea Council and Welsh Lib Dem Group Leader, went further, claiming the council had privately assured them M&S would remain once the Yr Storfa development opened.

“We have continually asked and been told that Labour’s vanity projects would be the saving of our high street, and even been told in a meeting M&S would stay once Yr Storfa had opened,” he said.

“This is deeply embarrassing for Labour, and is a tragedy for the city centre workers and shoppers as the Swansea high street takes another blow.”

Y Storfa’s striking green wall and glass frontage at the former BHS store next door to Swansea’s Marks & Spencer which is due to close in 2026
(Image: Swansea Council)

The Liberal Democrats say they have long called for cheaper and easier parking to encourage city centre use, alongside reforms to business rates and VAT cuts to support high street retailers.

Torsten Bell, Labour MP for Swansea West, struck a more conciliatory tone, expressing “deep disappointment” at the closure and focusing on the impact on staff and customers.

“This decision will be a blow to the many loyal customers who regularly use the store, and for the dedicated employees, some who have worked for M&S over many years,” Mr Bell said.

“They need to be shown the dignity and respect they deserve, while it’s vital they are treated fairly during this difficult time. I have already contacted Senior M&S Managers, with a meeting arranged for next Friday to discuss this further.”

Mr Bell noted the closure comes “at a time when the City Centre has seen huge regeneration at key sites and more top retailers showing confidence in Swansea.”

Marks and Spencer on Oxford Street in Swansea city centre. The store, which has been open since 1957, is set to close in late 2026 with 92 jobs at risk.

Sioned Williams MS, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for South Wales West, drew parallels with M&S’s departure from Neath in May 2024, saying the closures represent more than just job losses.

“As with Marks and Spencer’s departure from Neath in May 2024, this is more than losing a job or losing a shop, it’s losing a piece of local history,” she said.

“The Oxford Street store is an important part of many people’s lives, not least for the 92 who work there currently. During its 100 year presence in Swansea, there will have been people who have given their working lives to this store and loyal customers who have helped build this company’s multimillion pound profits.”

Ms Williams said she had written to the Welsh Government asking what support will be offered to staff, and will be writing to M&S to urge them to retain a full-line store in the area.

“I’m glad to see the company not ruling out maintaining a presence in Swansea, but that location should be in the city centre, and not out of town,” she added.

The closure announcement has raised questions about the effectiveness of Swansea Council’s regeneration strategy, which has seen millions of pounds invested in projects including the Copr Bay arena, the new library and museum complex, and the ongoing Yr Storfa development.

M&S has indicated it is considering alternative locations in the Swansea area, but has not confirmed whether any replacement store would be in the city centre or at an out-of-town retail park.

The Oxford Street store, which has traded for nearly 100 years, is expected to close later in 2026, with staff consultations now underway.

#Business #CllrChrisHolley #MS #MarksAndSpencer #OxfordStreet #PlaidCymru #retail #SamBennett #SionedWilliamsMS #storeClosure #Swansea #TorstenBellMP #WelshLabour #WelshLiberalDemocrats

Swansea councillors vow to fight for Ospreys as WRU cuts loom

At Swansea Council’s full council meeting on 6 November 2025, members from across the chamber united in opposition to the WRU’s restructuring, warning it risks the future of the Ospreys and undermines rugby in the west.

WRU’s three‑club plan

The WRU has confirmed it intends to reduce the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three, citing financial pressures and the need to concentrate resources. The plan would leave only three regions competing at the top level, with the Ospreys and Scarlets both facing uncertainty over their future. Critics have branded the move “short‑sighted” and “not fit for purpose,” warning it would weaken the game in West Wales and damage pathways for young players.

“The only true region”

Deputy Leader David Hopkins (Labour, Townhill) told councillors the Ospreys are “the only true region” and their contribution to communities and the wider game is “invaluable.” He said the council is already working closely with the club to secure its future.

Opposition leader Chris Holley OBE (Liberal Democrats, Cwmbwrla) agreed, warning that reducing to three regions would be “a backward step” and “doesn’t help us in this region.”

Council leader calls plan “flawed”

Council Leader Rob Stewart (Labour, Morriston) branded the WRU’s plan “flawed in every respect,” stressing the Ospreys are Wales’ most successful region. “We will continue to bat as hard as we can for them to remain,” he said, confirming ongoing dialogue with the union.

St Helen’s redevelopment plans

The debate also touched on the Ospreys’ future home. Cllr Peter May (Uplands Party, Uplands) noted the club had been planning a move to St Helen’s in his ward, describing it as “an exciting time” for the area.

Planning approval for the redevelopment of St Helen’s was granted earlier this year, with proposals including new facilities and improvements to the historic ground. At the time, Rob Stewart welcomed the decision, saying it would “secure the Ospreys’ long‑term future in Swansea and provide a boost for rugby and the city.”

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Council leader welcomes planning approval for Ospreys’ St Helen’s stadium redevelopment
Planning approval granted for redevelopment of St Helen’s, with council leader Rob Stewart hailing the move as a boost for rugby and the city.

Ospreys facing uncertain future as WRU plans to cut regions
WRU confirms controversial plan to reduce professional teams from four to three, sparking concern for West Wales rugby.

#CllrChrisHolley #CllrDavidHopkins #CllrPeterMay #CllrRobStewart #Ospreys #Rugby #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #WRU