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SWANSEA: Council announces £11m investment in play areas and wheeled sports facilities

The investment was highlighted during a visit by Dawn Bowden, Welsh Government Minister for Children and Social Care, to Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach, which has benefited from both schemes.

£8m Play Area Programme Since Pandemic

The council says it has invested around £8 million in creating or refurbishing over 80 community play areas since 2021. The project was supported by an additional £5 million in Welsh Government funding this year to help create inclusive and accessible play spaces, according to the council.

At Coed Gwilym Park, the funding has helped secure a wheelchair seesaw and a wheelchair trampoline, which are currently under construction. A new natural play area and a zipwire are also being added.

Children enjoying the new play equipment at Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach, which has been upgraded as part of Swansea Council’s £8 million play area investment programme. Image: Swansea Council

Welsh Government Minister Dawn Bowden said:

“It was great to visit Coed Gwilym Park and see how the local authority has been listening to the voices of children in developing play spaces. These improvements, supported by Welsh Government funding, will make a real difference to children and their families, providing opportunities to play and be active with friends.”

Welsh Government Minister for Children and Social Care Dawn Bowden (background left) and Swansea Council Cabinet Member for Community Services Cllr Hayley Gwilliam (background right) with local schoolchildren at the upgraded play area at Coed Gwilym Park in Clydach. Image: Swansea Council

Andrew Stevens, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, said the programme was inspired by the pandemic.

“When we came out of the pandemic, the council made a commitment to modernise community play areas that’s seen more than 80 of them improved over the last five years. It means no child is far from a local, safe place to play outdoors with their friends.”

£3m Wheeled Sports Investment

The council has also announced a £3 million investment to upgrade facilities for BMX, skateboarding, and other wheeled sports.

New plans announced by the council include:

• Coed Gwilym Park, Clydach: Dirt track and jumps
• Coed Bach Park, Pontarddulais: Dirt track
• Morriston Park: Pump track
• Heol Las Park, Birchgrove: Pump track
• Maesteg Park, St Thomas: Pump track
• Ynystawe Park: Skate park
• SA1 Prince of Wales Docks: Pump track
• A new regional skate park (location to be confirmed)

The council says upgrade work has already been completed on a new skatepark at Coed Bach in Pontarddulais and a skatepark at Parc Melin Mynach in Gorseinon.

Cai Bosch, Manager of the West French Skate Shop in Mumbles at Mumbles Skatepark (Image: Rob Kenning)

Cllr Andrew Stevens said:

“We’re determined to make Swansea one of the best places in Wales for wheeled sports, and today’s announcement of further new locations shows the scale of our ambition. Our long-term aim is to create a connected, inclusive and high-quality network of wheeled sports facilities that support healthier lifestyles, youth engagement and stronger communities across Swansea.”

A public forum to discuss the plans will be held at the Guildhall on Wednesday, February 25, from 5pm to 6.30pm, according to the council.

Hayley Gwilliam, Cabinet Member for Community Services, said:

“The feedback we’ve had from children, their families and communities has been tremendous. The investment is one of the largest and most sustained commitments to outdoor play areas of this kind anywhere in the UK.”

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Pontarddulais Town FC goes solar to cut bills and carbon

Pontarddulais Town FC has fitted 30 solar panels to its changing rooms, backed up by battery storage to capture and use the energy produced. The £23,130 package was funded through the Rural Anchor Fund via the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund — part of a scheme that has already launched 17 renewable energy projects across rural Swansea.

Volunteer coach Grant Poiner said:

“By generating and storing renewable energy on‑site, the club will significantly reduce its reliance on the grid, cut carbon emissions, and lower energy bills.

These savings will be reinvested into our grassroots football and community programmes, ensuring that the club remains accessible and affordable for everyone.

We are really grateful for the support of the fund to enable us to lower our carbon emissions and help us become more sustainable as a club.”

Pontarddulais Town isn’t the only team to benefit. South Gower Rugby Club has secured £21,000 for new LED floodlights to brighten up its pitch.

Between 2023 and 2025, Swansea Council says it has helped share more than £716,000 across 54 rural projects. Seventeen of those have focused on renewable energy, while others have backed volunteering schemes, local markets, visitor trails, biodiversity projects and feasibility studies.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure Andrew Stevens said:

“There has been a wide range of projects all across Swansea’s rural communities that have secured funding during the last two years and have put the money to good use.

Everyone is benefitting, whether it’s young people playing sports or families wanting to go for guided walks through some of our wonderful countryside.

The funding we have received is going to make a difference not just for the communities involved, but also for those who visit them.”

For Pontarddulais Town FC, the solar switch means lower bills, greener football, and more money pumped back into the grassroots game.

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#CllrAndrewStevens #football #Pontarddulais #PontarddulaisTownFC #solarPanels #SouthGowerRugbyClub #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #UKSharedProsperityFund