#kilvey-hill — Public Fediverse posts

KILVEY HILL: First steel goes up on Swansea’s cable car base station at Landore

The first steel of Swansea‘s cable car is going up. A crane has lifted a curved steel section onto a concrete pier at Landore Park and Ride, the start of what Skyline says will be the base station where passengers board for the ride up Kilvey Hill.

Skyline Swansea says the foundations for the station are now complete and the steel “superstructure” is going up. Over the next few months, it says, the building “will begin to take shape”.

The company’s photograph shows the section, with a walkway and ladder already fitted, suspended from a crane with the bare slopes of Kilvey Hill behind. A large yellow component sits on timbers beside it, waiting its turn.

It comes five months after the £49m gondola and luge scheme formally began construction in May, and two months after piling started on the site.

From piling in August to steel in October: how the Landore base station has progressed

Piling for the base station started in August inside the hoarded compound at the park and ride and at the Hafod Copperworks site, and was expected to take about five weeks.

Diggers had moved in at the park and ride in the spring, and parking there has been reduced since. Skyline has not said when the full car park will return.

The station will sit beside the restored copperworks, where the council is putting new floors into the Laboratory Building and scaffolding the engine houses as part of six schemes running along the Tawe at once.

The build reaches the road on Sunday 1 November, when the southbound A4217 between Brunel Way and White Rock Roundabout closes from 8am to 5pm with a signed diversion through Landore and Hafod.

Up the hill: a meadow being sprayed on, a windmill fenced off and towers going in

Along the gondola corridor, Skyline said in August that tower piling would run alongside tree clearance, and crews have since been hosing seed and mulch onto the stripped slopes to grow a meadow before native saplings go in.

Near the summit, where groundworks for the restaurant and cafe began in August, the ruins of a windmill first built in 1680 have been fenced off as the work goes on around them.

Skyline has said no further walking trails should close at this stage of the build, with diversions in place since June and an access map on its website.

The finished attraction is expected to employ more than 100 people, with applications opening in early 2028, the company has said.

The scheme has drawn sustained opposition from a small group of residents who live close to the site, with demonstrations on the hill and questions raised in the Senedd. Swansea Council has so far committed £10.2m to the project.

Cllr Rob Stewart, the leader of Swansea Council, called the steelwork “another welcome milestone” in a post on his Facebook page. “It’s great to see work progressing at Landore, with the foundations now complete and the next phase set to bring the gondola terminal building to life,” he said.

He added: “This is a major investment in Swansea’s future, helping to strengthen our tourism offer, create new opportunities and further establish the city as a fantastic place to live, work and visit.”

“We look forward to seeing further progress on this ambitious project over the coming months,” he said.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

KILVEY HILL: Five weeks of piling at Landore, eight weeks of summit groundworks, and no more paths to close, Skyline says
August’s update, when the base station foundations began.

KILVEY HILL: Skyline fences off the ruins of a windmill first built in 1680
Last week’s story from the summit.

More on Skyline Swansea
Every story on the gondola and luge, from planning to construction.

KILVEY HILL: Skyline fences off the ruins of a windmill first built in 1680

The remains of a windmill on Kilvey Hill, first built more than 340 years ago, are being fenced off and protected as Skyline Swansea builds its gondola and luge attraction on the hill.

Skyline has pictured the site as a grassy mound ringed by temporary fencing, with bare, freshly worked ground around it, under the caption “Protecting the old windmill”.

Kilvey Hill windmill: first built in 1680, a ruin by the 1930s

The windmill was a circular tower with stone and mortar walls, first put up in 1680 by a member of the Mansel family, according to Coflein, Wales’s national record of historic sites.

Coflein lists it as ruined, with an inside diameter of 4.4 metres.

The ruined tower still stood about 20ft high in the 1930s, according to the mill heritage website Windmill World, but by 2011 only a few stones of its wall were left.

Archaeologists monitoring Skyline’s summit works

Work is continuing around an area where “items of archaeological interest, identified during pre-planning assessment” have been uncovered, Skyline says.

Specialists from Archaeology Wales are monitoring the work and recording any findings, according to the company.

It says it is keeping Heneb, the Trust for Welsh Archaeology, informed.

Discussions are ongoing “to determine how features may be preserved while construction activities continue”, it says.

Skyline has not said what else has been uncovered.

Not the only find at the top of the hill

In September, Skyline said diggers had uncovered the remains of a small stone building at the summit during topsoil removal for its restaurant.

Its photos then showed low courses of stone wall and a flagged floor. Skyline has not said whether that building and the windmill are connected, or what the building was.

A hilltop being remade for the £49m attraction

The top of the hill is being reshaped for a gondola station, restaurant and luge tracks, part of the £49m attraction due to open in 2028.

Lower down, bare slopes are being sprayed green to grow a meadow, with native saplings to follow.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

KILVEY HILL: Mystery stone building uncovered by Skyline diggers at the summit
September’s find at the top of the hill.

KILVEY HILL: Five weeks of piling at Landore, eight weeks of summit groundworks, and no more paths to close, Skyline says
The August update that set out the summit groundworks.

KILVEY HILL: The Skyline site’s bare slopes are being sprayed green to grow a meadow
Greening the hill back over.

More on Skyline Swansea
Every story on the gondola and luge scheme.

LANDORE: The gondola terminal’s ‘bones’ are about to go up at the park and ride

The steel frame of Swansea’s gondola terminal is about to start going up at Landore Park and Ride, with Skyline Swansea saying the building’s foundations are now complete.

The next stage will put up the steel superstructure, “the ‘bones’ of the gondola terminal building”, the company says.

That will make the overall shape of the building “increasingly visible from the surrounding area”, it says.

From piling to steel at Landore Park and Ride

Piling for the base station started in August, when Skyline said the work would take about five weeks.

Steel reinforcement for part of the terminal can be seen rising out of a concrete base inside the hoarded site, with a piling rig still on site.

The park and ride has stayed open, but with fewer spaces since diggers moved in during June. Skyline has not said when full parking will return.

Swansea Council has funded a design study into moving the park and ride across the road to Alamein Road, opposite the Swansea.com Stadium.

More gondola tower foundations along the Kilvey Hill line

Up the hill, work is continuing along the route between Landore Park and Ride and the summit of Kilvey Hill.

Construction will become “increasingly visible over the coming months” as foundations for more towers are completed, ready for the towers themselves to be installed, Skyline says.

People may see contractors, equipment and temporary work areas at points along the route, it says.

Work runs from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays.

A Sunday lane closure on the A4217 on 1 November

Skyline has also given notice that the southbound lane of the A4217 between Brunel Way and White Rock Roundabout will be closed on Sunday 1 November, from 8am to 5pm.

Southbound traffic will be diverted via Brunel Way, Morfa Road and New Cut, rejoining the A4217 south of White Rock Roundabout.

Seed on the slopes, and archaeologists at the summit

Elsewhere on the site, bare slopes are being sprayed green with a meadow mix, with native saplings to follow.

Archaeologists are still monitoring work around the area where remains were uncovered at the summit, with talks continuing with Heneb over how features may be preserved.

The £49m gondola and luge attraction is due to open in 2028.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

KILVEY HILL: Five weeks of piling at Landore, eight weeks of summit groundworks, and no more paths to close, Skyline says
The August update that set out this phase.

LANDORE: Diggers move in at park and ride as work starts on Swansea’s gondola, but parking is now tighter
When work began at the base station site.

SWANSEA: Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road, as funding approved for design study of new Alamein Road site
Where the park and ride could go next.

More on Skyline Swansea
Every story on the gondola and luge scheme.

KILVEY HILL: The Skyline site’s bare slopes are being sprayed green to grow a meadow

Bare slopes on Kilvey Hill are being sprayed green, as Skyline Swansea starts to cover over the parts of its construction site where work has finished.

Crews are hosing a mix of grass seed, mulch and nutrients onto the exposed ground, a process known as hydroseeding, Skyline says.

Hydroseeding on Kilvey Hill: a meadow mix approved by ecologists

The seed is a meadow mix “selected and approved by ecologists”, according to the company.

Spraying it on helps plants take hold quickly and cuts the risk of soil washing off the slopes, it says.

As the seeded areas grow, completed sections will “gradually blend into the surrounding landscape”, the company says.

Native saplings next, after a summer of felling on the gondola line

Young native trees, known as whips, will be planted over the coming months under the project’s approved landscaping and ecology plans.

They follow months of felling along the gondola corridor, where the hill’s conifers are being replaced with native broadleaf woodland.

When construction began in May, Skyline said trees and vegetation would be replaced at a ratio of at least three to one, with species including sessile oak, silver birch, alder and wild cherry, alongside more than 14,000 native shrubs.

Natural Resources Wales set out a 25-year plan in 2023 to replace much of the hill’s planted pine and larch with native broadleaf trees, before the attraction was approved.

The gondola run will stay clear as a firebreak

Not everything cleared will grow back as woodland. Swansea Council has said the main gondola run will be kept clear of anything that burns, as a firebreak, on a hill that burned three times in 15 months up to July.

Gondola terminal foundations finished at Landore

Foundations for the gondola’s base terminal at Landore Park and Ride are finished, Skyline says, with the steel frame of the building going up next.

Work is continuing along the line between Landore and the summit, where foundations for more towers are being completed.

Construction runs from 8am to 6pm on weekdays and from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays, the company says.

The £49m gondola and luge attraction is due to open in 2028.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

KILVEY HILL: Tree felling to continue ‘for months’ as Skyline gondola corridor takes shape
The felling phase, and the native woodland plan behind it.

KILVEY HILL: Skyline will mean fewer wildfires once it’s built, council says
The gondola run as a firebreak.

SWANSEA: Construction begins on Skyline Swansea, the £49m cable car and luge attraction that’s been years in the making
The planting promises made when work started in May.

More on Skyline Swansea
Every story on the gondola and luge scheme.

KILVEY HILL: Fire breaks out above St Thomas homes as smoke drifts across Swansea

Fire broke out on Kilvey Hill on Thursday evening, sending flames up the hillside above St Thomas and a plume of smoke drifting across Swansea.

South Wales Police and Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service confirmed they were aware of the fire, with people in the vicinity told to keep windows and doors closed because of the smoke.

Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart urged residents to avoid the area and follow the advice of the emergency services.

Images shared by Cllr Stewart show flames breaking through the gorse close above rooftops, with smoke towering over the hill and drifting across the east of the city.

The fire burned close to homes around Grenfell Park Road, near a school, with residents across the east of the city reporting smoke and falling ash through the evening.

Locals say firefighters had the blaze under control by around 11pm — at times letting it burn in a controlled way — and that nobody was evacuated, though some residents of Wallace Road chose to leave their homes for a time before returning.

By late on Friday morning the hillside was still smoking, according to residents. The full scale of the damage is not yet clear, and the cause is not known.

It is the third fire on the hill in fifteen months. In April last year, a blaze spread across 12 hectares of the hillside, with crews still damping down the following day.

Last July, firefighters tackled two separate seats of fire on the hill, one measuring roughly 200 metres by 200 metres, using knapsack sprayers, blowers and beaters through the evening.

The hill has seen worse still: in 2019, six homes on Deep Glade Close in St Thomas were evacuated just before midnight as flames threatened houses, with more than 45 firefighters tackling what one evacuated resident was told was a “touch and go” situation.

Kilvey Hill is one of Swansea’s best-loved green spaces — a community woodland and wildlife refuge ringed by homes in St Thomas, Port Tennant, Dan-y-graig, Bonymaen and Pentrechwyth.

The hill is also a construction site. The £49m Skyline gondola and luge attraction began building in May, and tree felling along the gondola corridor above St Thomas is due to continue through the summer.

There is no suggestion the works are connected to the fire.

The blaze comes at the end of a week in which crews have fought wildfires across Wales after a long dry spell, with the Welsh Government activating its crisis management arrangements in response.

The largest, at Blaenavon, has burned for days and sent smoke over communities miles away.

Grass fires in dry conditions can spread with frightening speed — anyone who spots one is urged to call 999 immediately and not attempt to tackle it themselves.

The smoke plumes that towered over the hill on Thursday evening had gone by Friday morning, leaving the hillside smouldering, a day before the Wales Airshow brings crowds and aerial displays to Swansea Bay.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Firefighters continue to dampen down 12 hectare Kilvey Hill fire
The April blaze that spread across 12 hectares of the hillside.

Fire crews tackle Kilvey Hill blaze as wildfire risks persist
Two seats of fire on the hill last July, and the pattern behind them.

KILVEY HILL: Tree felling to continue ‘for months’ as Skyline gondola corridor takes shape
Where the £49m gondola project has got to on the hill.

KILVEY HILL: Tree felling to continue ‘for months’ as Skyline gondola corridor takes shape

Tree felling on Kilvey Hill will continue “over the coming weeks and months” as construction of the Skyline gondola line moves forward.

The developer behind the attraction says the work is focused on the gondola corridor — the route the cable cars will follow up the hill above St Thomas — and is “an important step” in delivering the line.

In a statement, Skyline Swansea said it knew Kilvey Hill “is an important place for many people”, adding that the works were being carried out within the approved corridor construction zone and under the supervision of certified ecologists.

Public access to the hill is being maintained throughout the works.

A safety exclusion zone is in place around active work areas, and a banksman will manage safe passage where a pathway crosses an active work site.

The company said all vegetation removed would be mulched to support renewable energy generation, and replaced with native broadleaf species, native shrubs and grassland seeding as part of the project’s biodiversity commitments.

Swapping conifers for native woodland is not a Skyline invention: Natural Resources Wales set out a 25-year plan back in 2023 to replace much of the hill’s originally planted pine and larch — which had succumbed to disease — with native broadleaf varieties.

The trees themselves are younger than they look. Kilvey Hill was left a barren “moonscape” by Swansea’s industrial past, and only re-greened around 60 years ago when hundreds of thousands of trees were planted on its slopes.

The felling marks the most visible phase yet of the £49m cable car and luge attraction, which formally began construction in May after years in the making.

At the other end of the route, groundworks are also under way at Landore, where the gondola’s valley-floor base station is taking shape beside the park and ride.

Work began on the hill itself in late June, with walkers facing footpath diversions as the first earthworks got under way near the summit.

The scheme has divided opinion, but it carries substantial backing: Swansea Council’s planning committee approved it last year, the council has committed funding to bring it forward, and when Skyline consulted on the plans it said community support had been “very strong”.

Opponents have been vocal — demonstrations on the hill drew police warnings in the spring, and concerns were taken to the Senedd last week, where the Welsh Government’s top law officer said public opposition alone carried no legal weight against a granted consent.

Costs have also been under scrutiny: Swansea Council has declined to put a figure on its worst-case losses if the project fails, as its committed costs rose to £10.2m.

The hill’s best-loved resident has weathered the changes: volunteers returned the moss-covered Green Man sculpture to the woods last month, challenging walkers to find his new home among the trees.

Skyline says the current phase of felling will run through the summer, with updates published on the project’s website at skylineswansea.co.uk.

For those using the hill in the meantime, paths remain open — but expect diversions and marshalled crossings where the corridor works are active.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANSEA: Construction begins on Skyline Swansea — the £49m cable car and luge attraction that’s been years in the making
How the project finally got under way this spring.

Campaigners’ Kilvey Hill ecology concerns addressed say Skyline developers
The 2023 debate over the hill’s ecology — and NRW’s 25-year woodland plan.

KILVEY HILL: The Green Man is home — beloved sculpture moved back into the woods after Skyline ‘eviction’
The moss-covered icon returned to the trees by volunteers.

KILVEY HILL: Council refuses to put a figure on worst-case Skyline losses — as costs rise to £10.2m

Swansea Council has refused to say how much public money could be lost if the Skyline project on Kilvey Hill does not go ahead — telling a questioner there are “too many variables” to give a worst-case figure.

The answer comes in written responses published for tonight’s full council meeting (Thursday 2 July), replying to a series of public questions on the scheme put by Ben Houghton at Council in March.

The responses confirm the council’s Skyline budget has risen from about £8.1m to £10.205m — and that the extra £2.1m “was not part of the original approved plan”.

The uplift was formally approved by Cabinet on 17 July 2025 through a financial procedure report, and covers higher-than-anticipated land assembly costs involving third parties, additional highways and access works, utilities to the site boundary, and the council’s own project management and staffing costs.

Budget papers profile the spending at £2.866m this financial year and £7.258m in 2026/27.

Just under £8m of the total is unsupported borrowing — debt the council services itself — with repayments prudently assumed at just under £700,000 a year, though the authority says the final terms will be set when the money is actually borrowed.

Asked for the council’s worst-case estimate of non-recoverable costs if the project does not proceed, the response was blunt: “As this project is in its infancy, there are too many variables for an answer to be provided.”

The council said money advanced to Skyline as loans is “expected to be fully repaid”, with further reimbursements “partly based on financial performance in practice”.

The £49m attraction — a gondola carrying visitors from Landore to the summit of Kilvey Hill, with three luge tracks, a sky swing and new trails at the top — is due to open in mid-2028.

But the answers confirm the occupational lease between the council and Skyline has not yet been signed, with planning conditions — including land stability assessments — still to be discharged. The council insists the outcomes “have not been predetermined”.

Mr Houghton asked whether works already carried out on the hill — he listed fencing, clearance, hardstanding, drainage installation, temporary access tracks and construction compounds — count as formally commencing the development under its planning permission.

Swansea Council said it was “not aware of any works that have taken place to date to formally commence the development”, describing the activity so far as agreed reptile mitigation and temporary works for vegetation clearance and a footpath diversion.

That characterisation sits alongside Skyline’s own recent updates, which showed earthworks under way near the summit and walkers diverted from footpaths while the work is carried out.

Mr Houghton, who told councillors the authority had already spent around £3m, asked whether committing further funds before conditions are met was “extremely unwise”. The council said it was not — pointing to a “phased and controlled approach”, legally binding agreements it says protect its interests, and the significant private capital Skyline is committing.

The council also restated its case for the scheme: a major leisure and tourism attraction supporting jobs and visitor spend, and a catalyst for the wider regeneration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks and Kilvey Hill.

The written answers land in a week when opposition to the scheme reached the Senedd — where the Welsh Government’s top law officer told Swansea MS Gwyn Williams that public opposition, however strongly felt, is not in itself a material planning consideration.

Elsewhere in the responses, the council conceded that footfall-generating regeneration projects are “necessary but not sufficient” to keep large national retailers in the city centre — attributing the departure of Marks & Spencer to corporate decisions beyond its control.

The written responses will be formally received when full council meets at 5pm tonight.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea MS takes Skyline opposition to the Senedd — but top law officer says public anger carries no legal weight
The Counsel General’s careful rebuff to the Save Kilvey Hill campaign this week.

Walkers face footpath diversions as Skyline work begins on the hill
Earthworks near the summit as the £49m attraction takes shape.

Police warn protesters action will follow as demonstration continues over Skyline development
South Wales Police’s warning as protest activity continued at the site.

Kilvey’s Green Man stands alone as Skyline work transforms the face of the hill
The community sculpture left exposed as tree harvesting began.

Council approves plan for Skyline development
Where the saga began — the planning committee’s green light.

KILVEY HILL: Swansea MS takes Skyline opposition to the Senedd — but top law officer says public anger carries no legal weight

A Swansea politician has taken the campaign against the Skyline development on Kilvey Hill to the Senedd’s top legal officer — only to be told that public opposition, however strongly felt, carries no weight in planning law.

Gwyn Williams, the Plaid Cymru member for Swansea’s Gŵyr Abertawe seat, pressed the Counsel General, Elfyn Llwyd, during questions in the Senedd on Tuesday.

Williams asked what legal advice the Welsh Government could offer to challenge planning decisions approved by councils despite strong local objection.

Llwyd replied that Welsh ministers do have powers to revoke, modify or discontinue a planning permission granted by a local authority, set out in the Town and Country Planning Act 1990.

But he said those powers would only be used where the original decision was “so grossly wrong that damage would be done to the wider public interest” — and added that they are very rarely used.

In a supplementary, Williams raised Kilvey Hill directly, saying he had received more emails about it than any other issue in his six weeks as a member.

He described the hill as one of the most beautiful places in Swansea, with an ecology shaped by the soil left poisoned by the city’s copper-smelting past, and noted that his own son had trained there before joining the Royal Artillery.

Williams asked what advice Llwyd would give to the Save Kilvey Hill campaign, which opposes the development.

The Counsel General’s answer was a careful rebuff. Giving the campaign advice “would get me the sack,” he said, to laughter in the chamber.

He went on to set out the legal reality for objectors, telling the Senedd that “public opposition is not in itself a material planning consideration.”

It was for objectors to set out proper planning reasons for why a development should be refused, he said. Anyone could challenge the way an application had been handled through judicial review if they believed it was legally flawed — but it was not possible to challenge the reasoning behind a decision.

Llwyd added that he could not comment on the merits of the case, as it might come before Welsh ministers at a later date and he did not want to prejudice any role he might then have.

The legal position lands at a late stage in the story. Swansea Council’s planning committee approved the scheme in March 2025, and construction began earlier this year, with earthworks on the hill and groundworks at Landore Park and Ride.

The £49m attraction, by the New Zealand-based operator Skyline Enterprises, is to feature a cable car, a downhill luge, a zipline, a sky swing, a restaurant and enhanced walking and mountain bike trails. It has also drawn £4m of Welsh Government investment.

The company has said the project is expected to create 100 local jobs within a year of opening and around 450 during construction, to be worth £84m to Swansea’s economy over 15 years, and to draw some 450,000 visitors in its first full year.

Skyline has said all existing footpaths and access points to the hill will remain open, and that the scheme includes tree planting, habitat protection and other ecological measures designed with Natural Resources Wales requirements in mind.

Opposition has been vocal but limited in number. Around 50 objectors gathered outside the Guildhall when the planning committee met, and the development has since seen protest activity that prompted a police warning in April, while walkers have more recently faced footpath diversions as work moved onto the summit.

Swansea Council has welcomed the development, describing it as an exciting project for the east side of the city.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Council approves plan for Skyline development
Swansea’s planning committee gave the £49m Kilvey Hill scheme the go-ahead in March 2025.

Construction begins on Skyline Swansea
The first visible signs of the cable car and luge attraction taking shape.

Walkers face footpath diversions as work begins on the hill
Temporary diversions as earthworks reach the top of Kilvey Hill.

KILVEY HILL: Walkers face footpath diversions as Skyline construction work begins on the hill

Walkers heading up Kilvey Hill are being warned to expect footpath diversions, after construction work began at the top of the hill.

Earthworks have started near the summit as part of the Skyline Swansea project, the £49m cable car and luge attraction planned for the hillside above St Thomas.

An aerial view of the summit shows the scale of the work, with a large area of ground cleared near the hilltop masts.

To keep people away from the construction area, several affected footpaths have been temporarily re-routed.

Skyline said the diversions were put in place to keep walkers safe while the work is carried out.

New signs have gone up across the hill pointing walkers along the temporary routes, including bilingual “Footpath Diversion” markers steering people away from the works.

Swansea Council has approved a temporary diverted route, which the company said would be monitored and maintained throughout construction to keep access open across the hill between Bonymaen and St Thomas.

Skyline said additional signage had been installed after feedback from the community, and would be kept under review as the work progressed.

The diversions are the most visible sign yet that work on the long-discussed scheme is now under way on the ground.

Much of the activity so far has involved clearing ground near the summit, where the earthworks are preparing the site for the downhill karting “luge” tracks.

The tree clearance is likely to be the most noticeable change to the much-loved hill. Skyline said it had been carried out in line with ecological advice and approved plans, and that many of the trees removed were diseased or non-native.

The company said the felled wood had been mulched into biomass for renewable energy, and that it had pledged to plant three native trees and shrubs for every tree removed, working with certified ecologists.

It added that it was already sourcing tree whips and native meadow seeds for planting later in the project, and was installing sustainable drainage to manage water run-off.

The project will see a gondola carry visitors from the Copper Quarter up to the summit of Kilvey Hill, on a site that has been years in the planning.

At the top, Skyline plans three luge karting tracks, a sky swing, a children’s playground, new and improved walking and mountain biking trails, and places to eat and drink, with a zipline added at a later stage.

The attraction is due to open in mid-2028 and will be the company’s first luge site in the UK.

Swansea Council approved the plans in March last year, and the authority has backed the scheme as a major investment expected to create jobs and draw visitors to the eastern side of the city.

Supporters see it as a boost for the local economy and a new reason for tourists to come to Swansea.

The plans have also faced opposition, however, with some residents and campaigners raising concerns about the impact on the hill and on open access to it.

In April, police warned demonstrators that action would follow as protests against the development continued.

Earlier this month, the much-loved “Green Man” sculpture was moved back into the woods on the hill, having been relocated during what supporters of the sculpture called a Skyline “eviction.”

Work has also begun on the other side of the project, with diggers moving in at the Landore park and ride site that will serve the attraction.

Kilvey Hill is a popular spot for dog walkers, runners and families drawn by its sweeping views over Swansea Bay, and the temporary routes are designed to keep those paths open while the work continues.

For now, walkers can still use Kilvey Hill, but are asked to follow the temporary signs and keep clear of the construction area. Skyline said existing paths and rights of way affected by the works would reopen when the attraction is finished.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Construction begins on Skyline Swansea
The £49m cable car and luge attraction that’s been years in the making.

Diggers move in at Landore park and ride
Work starts on the park and ride that will serve the gondola — but parking is now tighter.

The Green Man is home on Kilvey Hill
The beloved sculpture moved back into the woods after a Skyline ‘eviction’.

LANDORE: Diggers move in at park and ride as work starts on Swansea’s gondola — but parking is now tighter

Diggers have moved onto Landore Park and Ride as work begins on the base station for Swansea’s new gondola.

The site will become the bottom of the £49m Skyline Swansea cable car, which will carry passengers up Kilvey Hill to a luge track, zip lines and a restaurant at the top.

Skyline said its teams are now on site preparing the area, with the former bus terminal taken down and the bus stop moved by the council.

Drivers will see more hoardings and fencing going up around the work site, which the company said is to keep the public and workers safe.

The park and ride remains open, but the company warned that the number of spaces has been reduced while the work is carried out.

It is the latest visible step in a project that has been years in the making — and one that has split opinion across the city.

Earthworks began on Swansea‘s Kilvey Hill earlier this year, clearing a strip of woodland to make way for the cable car line.

The felling left the hill’s much-loved Green Man sculpture standing alone amid the cleared trees, before volunteers returned him to the woods this week.

The development has drawn sustained opposition from some residents and campaigners, who argue the hill should be left as open green space.

Protest activity on the hill earlier this year led South Wales Police to warn demonstrators that action would follow anyone breaking the law.

Supporters, including the council, say the attraction will bring jobs and visitors to the east side of the city.

What it means for parking

The reduced parking comes as the council looks at moving the park and ride altogether.

In May, it secured funding for a design study to relocate the site to Alamein Road, an industrial estate just opposite the Swansea.com Stadium.

That move would free up the current Landore site for the gondola base station and any associated development.

For now, the company says access to the park and ride is unaffected, but anyone using it should expect fewer spaces than usual while the work continues.

Skyline has not given a date for when the base station work is due to be finished.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Construction begins on Skyline Swansea — the £49m cable car and luge attraction
The first visible signs of work on the long-planned project.

Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road to Alamein Road
Council funding approved for a design study of the new site.

The Green Man is home — sculpture moved back into the woods
Volunteers return Kilvey Hill’s beloved figure to the trees.

Police warn protesters action will follow over Skyline development
The controversy over the hill’s future intensifies.

KILVEY HILL: The Green Man is home — beloved sculpture moved back into the woods after Skyline ‘eviction’

Kilvey Hill’s beloved Green Man is back among the trees.

The moss-covered sculpture — which became an unlikely symbol of the row over the Skyline development — has been moved back into the woodland by the volunteers who care for it, months after it was left standing exposed on the cleared construction site.

In February, the figure was pictured standing alone amid felled trees as work began to reshape the face of the hill, with volunteers saying he had effectively been “evicted” from his long-time forest home.

Now he has been relocated to a quieter woodland spot away from the main construction area — a move the volunteers describe as a return to his “spiritual home.”

Children from Bonymaen Kids Play Initiative helped re-stuff the Green Man before the move, and joined volunteers for a special woodland welcome event.

Local families gathered to celebrate, with children taking part in a surprise woodland walk and activities centred on the much-loved figure.

Sharing the news, David Lang, of the Kilvey Woodland Volunteers, said the Green Man had been glad to escape the building site.

“The Green Man has had enough of living in the shadow of the Skyline construction site and has returned to his spiritual home of the woods, surrounded by trees,” he said.

The sculpture was created back in 1998 by local resident Pete Thomas, and has been looked after by the community ever since.

It found itself at the centre of public feeling earlier this year, when tree felling for the Skyline project left it standing in a bare, cleared stretch of hillside — a stark image that struck a chord with those worried about the scheme’s impact.

At the time, Skyline said it recognised the Green Man’s importance and was committed to protecting his future on the hill.

The £49m Skyline attraction, which will bring a cable car, luge and other activities to Kilvey Hill, has been one of the most hotly debated developments in Swansea in recent years, drawing both strong support and determined protest.

For the volunteers, though, this week is about something simpler — a much-loved local landmark back where they feel he belongs.

And there’s a challenge for anyone heading up the hill. The Green Man has been tucked away in a new hidden spot, somewhere along the Viking ship path — and visitors are being invited to see if they can find him.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Kilvey’s Green Man stands alone as Skyline work transforms the hill
How the sculpture became a focal point for the Skyline debate in February.

Construction begins on the £49m Skyline Swansea
Work starts on the cable car and luge attraction on Kilvey Hill.

Police warn protesters as Skyline demonstration continues
The controversy over the development intensifies on the hill.

Councillor says he quit Labour over Skyline
A Swansea councillor resigned in protest at the development.

SWANSEA: Construction begins on Skyline Swansea — the £49m cable car and luge attraction that’s been years in the making

After years of planning, consultation, debate and controversy, Skyline Swansea is finally being built.

Earthworks have begun on Kilvey Hill to prepare the site for the downhill karting luge tracks — clearing and shaping the land while creating sustainable drainage systems to manage stormwater and support biodiversity.

At the Landore Park and Ride, groundworks are getting under way to prepare the site for the cable car system itself. For anyone who has watched this project develop over the years, the sight of machinery on the hill will feel significant.

When complete, Skyline Swansea will be a £49m adventure tourism destination featuring an accessible cable car, downhill luge rides, a free children’s adventure playground, a sky swing and food and drink facilities — all with sweeping views across Swansea Bay and beyond.

It will be Skyline Enterprises’ first site in the UK and Europe, joining its international portfolio of destinations across New Zealand, South Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Canada.

Geoff McDonald, Chief Executive of Skyline Enterprises, said: “With early preparation works now complete, people will soon begin to see real progress as we move into construction. We’re proud to be bringing our first UK site to Swansea and to be working with local partners to deliver something truly unique for the city and the region.”

Construction is expected to continue for the next two years, with the attraction scheduled to open in 2028.

The Landore Park and Ride will remain open during the works, though the number of available spaces will reduce. Penderyn Distillery, which operates a visitor centre at the nearby Morfa Copperworks site, will also remain open. Additional fencing will be installed to ensure the safety of workers, hill users and visitors to both sites.

Public access to Kilvey Hill will be maintained throughout, with temporary diversions and signage near active work areas. All existing public access routes will be kept open and new trails created as part of the project.

The Landore Park and Ride’s role as the cable car basecamp is significant — and directly feeds into plans being developed to relocate the Park and Ride to a new site on Alamein Road, just across from the Swansea.com Stadium, once the Skyline basecamp is established.

On ecology — one of the most contentious issues raised by those who opposed the scheme — McDonald was direct. “Our focus remains on delivering something of lasting value for Swansea — from the jobs and skills this project will create, to the biodiversity outcomes we are committed to delivering for Kilvey Hill,” he said.

Trees and vegetation will be replaced at a ratio of at least 3:1, with native broadleaf species including field maple, alder, silver birch, beech, Scots pine, sessile oak and wild cherry planted alongside more than 14,000 native shrubs, new meadow and grassland seeding, and sustainable drainage planting. The work will be overseen by certified ecologists.

That commitment comes in the context of sustained opposition from a small but vocal campaign group who raised concerns about the ecological impact of development on the hill throughout the planning process. Police warned protesters that action would follow as demonstrations continued at the site, and the Green Man sculpture on Kilvey Hill became a symbol of that campaign as work began to transform the face of the hill.

Those concerns haven’t gone away — but the project has cleared the planning process and construction is now a reality.

For Swansea, the arrival of an attraction of this scale is a big deal. Reports have suggested the project could deliver significant economic benefits for the city, and it forms part of a wider transformation of the stadium district that also includes Swansea City’s proposed fan zone, the Penderyn visitor centre at the copperworks, and a new riverside walking and cycling path.

Our Skyline Swansea coverage

Council approves plan for Skyline development
The moment planning consent was granted — and what it means for Kilvey Hill.

Police warn protesters as demonstration continues over Skyline development
The opposition that accompanied the project throughout its planning stages.

New report reveals Skyline’s potential economic impact to Swansea
The case made for why this project matters to the city’s economy.

Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road to Alamein Road
How the Park and Ride is being relocated to make way for the Skyline basecamp.

KILVEY HILL: Police warn protesters action will follow as demonstration continues over Skyline development

South Wales Police has issued a public warning to protesters on Kilvey Hill that officers will take action against anyone breaking the law, as ongoing protest activity continues at the site of the controversial Skyline development in Swansea.

In a statement published on social media, the force said it was aware of protest activity taking place in the Kilvey Hill area in relation to development work at the site, and that while it supported the right to peaceful protest, that right came with legal limits.

“We support the right for people to make their voices heard through protest providing it is done lawfully,” the force said. “Decisions about how to police protests require consideration of complex and often competing rights and issues.”

The statement added that officers would act against those who broke the law, whether at the time of the offence or after the fact. “We will take action against anyone who breaks the law, whether this is at the time of the offence or retrospectively,” police said.

However, at least one resident, supportive of the protesters, has pushed back on any suggestion that protest activity is behind whatever prompted the police warning. Anita Aamp, who has commented publicly on the development online, said those who had opposed the scheme had always done so peacefully and within the law, and had maintained regular contact with local officers throughout. “I can pretty much assure you that whatever has happened on the hill has nothing to do with any protests,” she said, suggesting that with the Easter school holidays under way, police might want to “look further afield, as you normally would.”

The Skyline development — a multi-million pound leisure scheme backed by £4m in Welsh Government funding — has been one of the most contentious planning projects in Swansea in recent years. The project, which includes a cable car, luge runs and other visitor attractions, was approved by Swansea Council and is projected to bring significant economic benefits to the city, with reports suggesting it could generate substantial visitor numbers and support job creation in the area.

Supporters of the scheme point to the long-term regeneration potential of Kilvey Hill, arguing that the removal of diseased non-native trees is a necessary precursor to replanting with broadleaf native species, and that the development will transform a largely neglected hillside into a world-class tourism destination.

Opposition has come primarily from a vocal group of local residents living close to the hill, who have raised concerns about the impact on the area’s ecology and community character. Among the flashpoints was the fate of the Green Man of Kilvey — a wire and moss sculpture built by local man Pete Thomas in 1998 — which was left exposed in a cleared landscape after felling work began. Kilvey Woodland Volunteers described it as the “eviction” of a community icon that had stood for nearly 30 years. Skyline Swansea said the sculpture remained a priority and that they were committed to securing its future on the hill.

The controversy also took a political turn in February when Cllr Joe Hale posted a video announcing he was leaving Labour over the development. A statement from the office of council leader Rob Stewart subsequently confirmed that Cllr Hale had been suspended by the party six days before his video, following allegations of malicious communications and harassment that were also referred to South Wales Police. Cllr Hale denied being suspended, saying he had resigned over Skyline.

Both Swansea Council and Skyline Swansea have been actively countering what they describe as misinformation circulating online. The council confirmed that all tree felling had been carried out with planning consent granted in July 2025, and that Natural Resources Wales was consulted throughout the planning process. Developers have also said that ecology concerns raised by campaigners have been addressed.

South Wales Police said it remained open to dialogue with advocacy groups and that its approach would reflect “the values of fairness, equality, and justice.”

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Kilvey’s Green Man stands alone as Skyline work transforms the face of the hill
The beloved community sculpture was left exposed in a barren clearing as tree harvesting operations began on the hill.

Councillor suspended by Labour Party over harassment allegations before announcing Skyline resignation
A Swansea councillor was suspended days before his video announcement that he was leaving Labour over the Skyline project.

Councillor denies being suspended by Labour — says he quit over Skyline
Cllr Joe Hale hit back at the council’s account, insisting he had resigned from the party over the development.

Council approves plan for Skyline development
Swansea Council gave the green light to the controversial multi-million pound leisure scheme on Kilvey Hill.

Campaigners’ Kilvey Hill ecology concerns addressed, say Skyline developers
Developers sought to reassure opponents that environmental issues raised about the hill had been taken on board.

Councillor denies being suspended by Labour, says he quit over Skyline

Joe Hale, who represents St Thomas, announced last week that he was becoming an independent councillor. The move came after Swansea Bay News reported that he had been suspended by the Labour Party over allegations of harassment and malicious communications.

In a statement to Swansea Bay News, Cllr Hale said he had not received any notice of suspension from the Swansea Labour Party, and that he had resigned “due to the destruction of our only green space in our ward, Kilvey Hill.”

That directly contradicts a statement issued by the office of council leader Rob Stewart last week, which said Cllr Hale had been suspended on Thursday 19 February — six days before his video announcement — “following serious allegations of misconduct being received.”

The council leader’s office said the allegations, “specifically related to malicious communications and harassment,” had also been raised with police.

Cllr Hale said he was “absolutely opposed to public money being handed over to profiteers” and questioned why the council should “subsidise a private company via the public purse” given the economic hardship facing many residents.

The council leader’s office previously pushed back on Cllr Hale’s financial claims, saying the points he raised were “ones the council has formally answered via the planning process and / or via numerous questions submitted to the council’s technical officers,” and that “Cllr Hale has not accepted the answers given to him.”

Cllr Hale also addressed claims that he should have raised his objections sooner, saying: “I have from day one and even attempted to get the council to have public meetings in St Thomas. It is a matter of record that I spoke against this at planning.”

The council’s previous statement said records showed Cllr Hale “didn’t take the opportunity to attend cabinet meetings when these matters were discussed despite having the chance to do so.”

He also responded to suggestions that his proximity to the development influenced his position. “The fact that I live in St Thomas has been used as a reason as to why I have objected to Skyline, but we have been told by the planning department that St Thomas will not be affected. Or has something changed?”

The council leader’s office had previously noted that Cllr Hale “has continued to voice his opposition to the scheme which is near to his own property.”

Cllr Hale said he had received “huge support” from residents of St Thomas and Port Tennant since announcing his resignation, as well as from work and trade union colleagues.

Cllr Hale’s statement in full:

First can i express my thanks to the residents of St Thomas and Port tennant for the huge support i have received since i announced my resignation from the Labour Party and can i thank my work colleagues and trade union colleagues for the same support and encoragement.

I have not recieved any form of notice of suspension from the Swansea Labour Party.

I resigned due to the destruction of our only green space in our ward, Kilvey Hill. The designated quiet area lost for ever and only one on the Eastside of Swansea.

I am absolutely opposed to public money being handed over to profiteers — why do we have to subsidise a private company via the public purse? Given the economic hardship many of our community are going through, giving our money to this type of venture is not what we should be doing.

Some have said i should have objected earlier and spoke up sooner. I have from day one and even attempted to get the council to have public meetings in St Thomas. It is a matter of record that i spoke against this at planning.

The fact that i live in St Thomas has been used as a reason as to why i have objected to Skyline, but we have been told by the planning dept that St Thomas will not be effected? Or has something changed?

— Joe Hale, Independent Cllr, St Thomas

Councillor suspended by Labour Party over harassment allegations before announcing Skyline “resignation”

In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Cllr Joe Hale announced he was becoming an independent councillor, blaming his departure on the Skyline development on Kilvey Hill and claiming “the Labour Party have left me.”

However, a statement issued by the office of Swansea Council Leader Rob Stewart has revealed that Cllr Hale was suspended days before his video announcement.

A spokesperson said: “The Labour Party suspended Cllr Hale on Thursday 19th February, prior to his announcement, and following serious allegations of misconduct being received. The allegations of misconduct, specifically related to malicious communications and harassment, were also raised with the police.”

Misinformation battle

The row comes as both Swansea Council and the developers, Skyline Swansea, have been forced to publicly counter what they describe as “misinformation circulating online” about the project.

In a social media post, the council directly addressed claims that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) knew nothing about the development, stating that NRW were consulted during the planning process. The council also refuted claims that tree felling was happening without permission, confirming that planning consent was granted in July 2025.

Skyline Swansea also issued a statement to reassure the public that access to Kilvey Hill was being maintained via a re-routed path, a move they said went “beyond minimum safety standards.”

Hale’s video claims

VIDEO: Cllr Joe Hale’s announcement posted to social media on Tuesday 25 February

In his video, Cllr Hale said he could not “remain a Labour councillor when we’re spending £50 million on what, to all intents and purposes, is the gondola gamble.” He claimed the council had already invested £8 million and was proposing to increase this to £10 million.

He added that “the last three weeks” had been “a disgrace” and claimed “people are being hurt by the actions of politicians.”

Council: Scheme near his property

Responding to the video, the statement from the council leader’s office questioned Cllr Hale’s motivations, stating that he “has continued to voice his opposition to the scheme which is near to his own property.”

It continued: “The points Cllr Hale raises are ones the council has formally answered via the planning process and / or via numerous questions submitted to the council’s technical officers. Cllr Hale has not accepted the answers given to him.”

The statement also noted that “the records show Cllr Hale didn’t take the opportunity to attend cabinet meetings when these matters were discussed despite having the chance to do so.”

“Extremely concerning” posts

The statement described Cllr Hale’s recent social media activity as “extremely concerning.”

“While Cllr Hale is entitled to campaign on any matter, it was extremely concerning to see Cllr Hale recently share posts which constituted malicious communications and harassment and contained abusive language and threats directed at his former colleagues,” it said.

No response

Cllr Hale was contacted for comment on his suspension and the allegations but had not responded by the time of publication.

Kilvey’s Green Man stands alone as Skyline work transforms the face of the hill

The Green Man of Kilvey, a mythical figure built by local man Pete Thomas in 1998, has stood proudly for nearly 30 years. But as tree harvesting operations clear the way for the proposed leisure destination, his sudden exposure in a barren landscape has reignited tensions between local campaigners and developers.

‘Evicted’ from the Forest

Local volunteers, who have been vocal in their opposition to parts of the development, have hit out at the “eviction” of the Green Man from his shaded home. They argue that the sculpture is a vital piece of Swansea’s community heritage that has been treated as an afterthought.

David Lang, from Kilvey Woodland Volunteers, said:

“The Green Man has been our guardian for nearly 30 years. Neither the landowners nor the developers took any precautions to safeguard such an important part of Swansea’s heritage during the initial tree harvesting. It speaks volumes of what they think of him.”

Despite the sharp criticism, volunteers did offer a “thank you” to the contractors on the ground, who they say listened to their concerns and prioritised the sculpture’s safety during the felling.

A Landmark Development

On the other side of the debate, the Skyline Swansea project is seen by many as a once-in-a-generation investment for the city. With £4m in Welsh Government backing, the project aims to create a world-class tourism destination featuring cable cars and luge runs, promising significant job creation and economic growth.

Supporters of the scheme point to the long-term environmental benefits, noting that the current felling of diseased, non-native trees is a necessary step to replanting broadleaf native species and revitalising the hill’s ecology.

Skyline: ‘We Are Listening’

Skyline Swansea has moved to address the community’s fears, insisting that the Green Man remains a “priority” and that they are committed to a collaborative future.

A spokesperson for Skyline Swansea said:

“We recognise how important the Green Man sculpture is to the local community. We are committed to securing his long-term future, whether that means safeguarding it in its current location or relocating it to a suitable alternative site on Kilvey Hill.”

A Community Divided?

The fate of the Green Man has become a symbol of the wider crossroads facing Kilvey Hill. While some see the development as a vital step forward for Swansea’s economy, others fear the loss of the hill’s wild, community-led character.

As the planning process moves forward, the challenge for both the Council and developers will be to prove that the “mythical guardian” and the modern leisure destination can truly coexist.

What do you think of the changes on Kilvey Hill? Is it progress or a loss of heritage? Have your say below.

Green Flag flying at Kilvey Community Woodland thanks to decades of volunteer care

A cherished patch of nature on the edge of urban Swansea has been officially recognised as one of the best community-managed green spaces in Wales. Kilvey Community Woodland, maintained by the dedicated Kilvey Woodland Volunteers, has received its first Green Flag Community Award — a mark of quality bestowed by Keep Wales Tidy.

The award celebrates the woodland’s high standards in cleanliness, safety, biodiversity and community engagement. It joins 22 Swansea sites recognised this year, as reported by Swansea Bay News in our earlier coverage of the Green Flag Awards, which saw Wales lead the world in community-managed green spaces.

Volunteer David said the award was “a huge achievement” and a tribute to the decades of work by volunteers who’ve transformed Kilvey Hill into a thriving haven for wildlife and people. Fellow volunteer Chris added:

“Our cherished Kilvey Hill gives the space to breathe — from children playing in muddy puddles, to runners, bird watchers, and loved ones scattering ashes in meaningful spots.”

The woodland offers seasonal events, guided walks, conservation days, school visits and workshops, all free and open to the public. It’s a place rich in biodiversity, heritage and community spirit — and now officially recognised as such.

Lucy Prisk, Green Flag Coordinator for Keep Wales Tidy, said:

“These sites play a vital role in the physical and mental well-being of communities across Wales. Kilvey Community Woodland is now recognised as among the best in the world.”

The volunteers are calling on the community to help maintain the woodland’s high standards and support future events. Updates and opportunities to get involved are shared regularly via their social media channels.

More environmental stories from Swansea Bay News

Crown Estate funds new offshore wind supply chain programme in South Wales
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New dunes planned to help keep wind-blown sand at bay
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Safety works to begin at Cwmgwrach coal tip to reduce landslip risk
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Swansea Bay parks and green spaces recognised among world’s best
315 Green Flag Awards celebrate biodiversity, wellbeing and community pride across Wales.

#GreenFlag #KeepWalesTidy #KilveyCommunityWoodland #KilveyHill #Swansea #volunteers #woodland

Fire crews tackle Kilvey Hill blaze as wildfire risks persist

The blaze, reported at 6.50pm on Sunday 13 July, involved two separate seats of fire, one measuring approximately 200m x 200m, the other 200m x 150m, and affected large swathes of gorse, trees and undergrowth. Crews from Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service used knapsack sprayers, blowers and beaters to extinguish the flames, leaving the scene by 9.28pm.

This latest incident follows a 12-hectare fire in April that required multiple crews and extended dampening down efforts across the hillside. That earlier blaze prompted renewed calls for vigilance and raised concerns about the impact on wildlife habitats and community safety.

A hill under pressure

Kilvey Hill has long been a focal point for both conservation and development. The site is currently earmarked for the Skyline Swansea leisure destination, a £35–£40 million project led by New Zealand-based Skyline Enterprises. Plans include a gondola lift, zipline, luge runs, sky swing, and hilltop restaurant, with developers pledging to retain and improve public access across the hill.

Skyline says the attraction will occupy approximately 9% of Kilvey Hill, with existing walking trails upgraded, new mountain biking routes added, and a free adventure playground introduced. The company has committed to a net biodiversity gain, including the planting of 122 mature trees and 68,000 shrubs and saplings, in consultation with Natural Resources Wales.

However, the development has faced opposition from campaigners and environmental groups, who argue that the scale of the project could disrupt the hill’s ecology and community use. Critics point to the hill’s designation as a quiet area and its role as a green space for East Swansea residents, many of whom lack access to other countryside areas.

Skyline maintains that free, unhindered access will continue, and that the project will open up the hill to a wider cross-section of the public, including those with mobility challenges.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Firefighters continue to dampen down 12-hectare Kilvey Hill fire
Crews battle extensive blaze across the hillside, prompting safety warnings and community concern.

Council approves plan for Skyline development
Swansea Council backs leisure attraction on Kilvey Hill, despite objections and ecological concerns.

Developer says retained access part of Kilvey Hill Skyline leisure destination proposals
Skyline Enterprises pledges to maintain public access and enhance trails as part of its plans.

Wildfire risks and community safety

The Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service continues to urge caution through its #WildfireWise campaign, which aims to reduce the number of grass fires across Wales. In 2024, crews responded to 977 grass fire incidents, with deliberate fires down 44% compared to the previous year.

The campaign encourages residents to report suspicious activity, avoid risky behaviours like outdoor burning, and take extra care during dry conditions. The service also works with landowners to promote safe land management practices and biodiversity-friendly burning techniques.

Andrew Wright, Chair of the Wales Wildfire Board, said:

“We want to work with our communities, farmers, and landowners to share our knowledge and understanding of the effect that both deliberate and accidental fires have on our communities.

Controlled burns can have a positive effect on the environment, but they must be done safely and within legal guidelines.”

For more on wildfire safety and prevention, visit the #WildfireWise campaign page.

#fire #grassFire #KilveyHill #MidAndWestWalesFireAndRescueService #Swansea #WildfireWise

Firefighters continue to dampen down 12 hectare Kilvey Hill fire

Firefighters from 10 stations across Swansea, Carmathenshire and Neath Port Talbot were called to the massive grass fire on Kilvey Hill just before 10pm on Wednesday night (9 April).

Firefighters are still damping down the scorched hillside over 12 hours later.

South Wales Police urged people to keep their windows and doors closed and to avoid the area where possible.

A spokesperson for Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 21:47pm on 9th April, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service were called to reports of a grassfire at Kilvey Hill, Swansea.

“Crews from Swansea Central, Swansea West, Ammanford, Port Talbot, Morriston, Reynoldston, Pontardulais, Neath, Gorseinon and Pontardawe Fire Stations were in attendance. 

“At it’s height the grassfire, covering an area of grass and gorse was 12 hectares,  fire crews utilised a ground monitor and drone, and sectorised the fire.  Then continued to extinguish the fire using a number of main jets and hose reel jets.  

“Crews remain on scene to dampen down and monitor.” 

The fire service say that it has attended 192 grass fires in the past week, with 13 of those over 10 hectares or 25 acres in size.

The fire service spokesperson added that: “Such large-scale incidents require extensive resources and coordination to manage effectively.”

Plans for a new leisure destination by New Zealand company Skyline were recently approved by city planners on Kilvey Hill.

(Lead image: Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service)

#grassFire #KilveyHill #MidAndWestWalesFireAndRescueService #Swansea

A wonderful walk around Kilvey Hill, Swansea and amazing to see so many people showing solidarity to the cause. Would be a real shame if this land is taken away from the local residents and developed upon. #KilveyHill #Swansea #SaveKilveyHill #GreenSpaces #Wales #Cymru

Sunrise over Kilvey Hill, Swansea this morning. Taken with an old Olympuse E-510 camera that belonged to my sister in law Barbara before she passed away.
#Swansea #KilveyHill #Sunrise #Sunrises #Olympus

#KilveyHill, Swansea has a thousand year history of coal mining.Swansea was a coal town,even the Romans and Vikings would have burnt local coal.This mine on the Hill shut down in the1700s.It was on the Swansea 2ft Seam.The exposures can still be seen and the entrance to the tunnel is in the centre.The rocks show destructive effects of centuries of copper smoke and sulphuric acid. Famous geologist #WilliamLogan would have visited this site in the 1830s to map our Welsh coalfields.#KilveyHistory

The article on the early environmental history of #KilveyHill is here. I don't yet know much about the Council trying to gain adverse possession of the central road.The best I can do for now is to keep publicising the history and significance of the woodland landscape on the Hill.I met with Kilvey Woodland Vols last Friday.This article is also largely repeated in this year's Swansea History Journal:
Nigel A Robins. (2022). the early history of Kilvey Woods in Swansea. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6866075