#swanseacomstadium — Public Fediverse posts

SWANS: New images show how the fan zone behind the South Stand could look

Swansea City supporters have had their first proper look at the fan zone planned behind the South Stand, in new images included in the club’s planning application.

An artist’s impression shows fans in club shirts gathered outside a long grey building decked out with the Swans crest and player graphics, with the stadium’s white steel frame alongside.

The images are in a design statement by AFL Architects, submitted to Swansea Council with the full application lodged on Tuesday.

Room for 1,000 fans, a stage and a big screen

The design statement says the fan zone will hold about 1,000 supporters, with food and drink kiosks, a covered stage and a mobile big screen.

It will be split into family and adult areas, with alcohol served in the adult zone only.

A coffee servery facing the path will keep serving passers-by even when the fan zone itself is closed.

On matchdays it would open three hours before kick-off and close one to two hours after it, according to the statement.

On other days the club envisages supporter events, performances, student events, food and drink events, festive markets and craft fairs.

A five-year building and a permanent Changing Places toilet

The main building is a steel frame with a fabric roof, about 40 metres long and clad in grey metal to match the South Stand. The statement says it will run on a five-year temporary basis.

That is a different design from the one first shown in April, which had a mezzanine gallery with self-pour beer taps and room for more than 1,700.

Alongside it will be a permanent toilet block, with a Changing Places room offering extra space and specialist equipment for disabled people who need help from a carer.

The architects say the block will also serve the South Stand concourse on matchdays and take pressure off the stadium’s existing toilets.

Murals by local artists planned for the walls

Sections of the fan zone and toilet block walls, including the side facing the public path, have been set aside for murals by local artists, subject to the final artwork being agreed.

The design statement says the artwork could reflect the club’s identity and its relationship with the community, and includes four examples with a Swansea City theme.

Nine new trees and changes to the memorial garden

Three trees next to the public path will come down for construction. Nine new ones will be planted on the rough ground beside Brunel Way, a net gain of six, according to the architects.

When the application went in, the club said the memorial garden’s footprint would change but the garden would stay where it is. The design statement says part of its brick wall and fencing will be removed so the garden can be reduced and reconfigured.

The club has asked anyone with questions about the garden to email [email protected].

Security blocks that double as seating

South Wales Police asked for barriers against vehicles when planners responded to the club’s early plans in May. Heavy modular blocks at the busy south-west corner will double as seating, alongside a 2.4m fence and CCTV.

Fans arriving on foot or by bike will use the existing walking and cycling path past the fan zone, which links to the footbridge over the Tawe.

The scheme would take out 46 car parking spaces, 34 of them used by players on matchdays. The club says it will manage that with fewer parking permits or by bringing players in by coach.

A December opening target

The club has said it wants the fan zone open in December, though it is prepared to follow “alternative timelines as required”.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

SWANS: Fan zone plans lodged for behind the South Stand
The application goes in, with December the target.

SWANSEA CITY: Planners give fan zone the green light in principle, but the club has got some work to do
What planners and police asked for in May.

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans, with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe
The April drawings and the club’s brief.

Fan zone
Every story on the South Stand plans.

SWANS: Fan zone plans lodged for behind the South Stand

Swansea City supporters could have a covered bar for more than 1,700 behind the South Stand by Christmas. The club says its final planning application went in on Tuesday and diggers will be on site within days.

The plans it first showed in April put a 40-metre building with self-pour beer taps, a stage, a big screen and bierkeller benches on what is now a service road, open on matchdays and for events in between.

The memorial garden

The club says some of the early work means that if the project is completed “the footprint of the memorial garden at the stadium will be altered, although the garden will remain in its current location”. It has not said how.

Anyone with concerns or questions about changes to the garden is asked to email [email protected].

December, but no promises

The application mentions an intention to open in December, the club says, adding in the same statement that “the priority with this process is to make sure the final venue is fit for purpose” and that it is prepared to follow “alternative timelines as required”.

It is the second date to move. In April the club wanted the fan zone open for the start of this season.

What the council asked for

Planners gave the scheme the green light in principle in May and handed the club’s architects a list. The building had to pull back from the row of trees along the walking and cycling path on the site’s northern edge, the mezzanine needed lifts for wheelchair users, and South Wales Police wanted crash-rated barriers to stop a vehicle being driven into a crowd.

Noise was flagged for the Copper Quarter flats to the east, with a noise assessment and operating hours to be set out. At more than 1,700 capacity the venue falls into the enhanced tier of Martyn’s Law, the counter-terror duty brought in after the Manchester Arena bombing.

The club says it has “worked on some of the feedback and recommendations” from that process and held “positive discussions” with the council before submitting. Which of the planners’ points it has met will be in the application documents when they are published.

Why the club wants it

The April drawings by AFL Architects showed food and drink kiosks, a raised gallery with self-pour taps and bench seating facing a big screen, with room for around 1,166 people at ground level and more than 1,766 once a mezzanine goes in above the kiosks.

The club’s own brief said 72% of fans arrive more than an hour before kick-off and get a poor experience for it, with narrow concourses and slow service, and that too many spend their money elsewhere before the game.

Consultation with supporters “has already started, and will continue”, the club says, with the aim of a venue that “meets the needs and requirements of as wide a range of supporters as possible”.

Whose ground it is

Swansea Council agreed in July to sell the club the stadium’s freehold, unanimously and with the price kept in a closed session. Council leader Rob Stewart told that meeting the authority would keep planning control over whatever the Swans brought forward for the site.

This is the first test of that. The application will appear on the council’s planning portal for public comment before a decision is made.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans, with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe
The April drawings and the club’s brief.

SWANSEA CITY: Planners give fan zone the green light in principle, but the club has got some work to do
Trees, lifts, barriers and Martyn’s Law: the pre-application response in full.

SWANSEA.COM STADIUM: Sale to the Swans agreed, as council explains why the price must stay secret
How the club came to own the ground it is building on.

Fan zone
Every story on the South Stand plans.

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.

SWANSEA.COM STADIUM: Council set to sell the Swans their home — with the price kept behind closed doors

Swansea Council is preparing to sell the Swansea.com Stadium to Swansea City — with the price the club will pay set to be discussed behind closed doors.

Cabinet members will be asked next Thursday (16 July) to agree the sale of the council’s freehold in the stadium to the Swans, subject to detailed heads of terms contained in a closed report.

The public report says terms have been “tentatively agreed” following lengthy negotiations which “generate a large purchase price, plus additional contingent fees in the event of promotion as well as retained ticket and hospitality benefits” for the council.

Full details of the offer will be considered in closed session — meaning the figure will not be public when the decision is made.

The stadium — known as the White Rock Stadium during construction, before its first naming rights deal saw it open as the Liberty Stadium — was built by the council and let to the Swansea Stadium Management Company on a 50-year term. The lease was amended in 2018, introducing a rent to the council which has been uplifted in line with the agreement since.

The report, by the council’s head of property and regeneration Geoff Bacon, says the club has to own its most important asset to maximise investment and funding opportunities.

It is unusually blunt about the alternative: “a stagnant football club is not adding to the Council’s asset value,” the report states. “More concerning is that a failing football club could lead to a significant and costly liability.”

The report says the stadium played its part in Swansea City’s promotion to the Premier League, estimated to have been worth £58m — £82m in today’s money — to the local economy in the first year alone. The club spent eight seasons in the top flight, with one season in Europe following its League Cup triumph, and is of the opinion the overall value to the local economy across that period exceeded £500m.

The club “remains ambitious to look to repeat previous successes”, the report says — but the current stadium set-up “affects their ability to compete”. The Swans have already set out plans of their own for the ground, including a 1,700-capacity fan zone unveiled in April.

The club’s new American-led ownership — which counts Snoop Dogg, Martha Stewart and Croatia great Luka Modrić among its minority investors — has been actively seeking to buy the stadium, according to the report. Last month Los Angeles firm Shamrock Capital committed “significant capital” to the club.

The proposed sale also comes as the stadium’s other long-standing tenant prepares to move out — the Ospreys are heading for a rebuilt St Helen’s, where the council has set out plans for a £7.6m redevelopment with a near-7,000 capacity.

The club pointed to that changing picture itself on Thursday morning, confirming its offer had been submitted and saying it “makes sense operationally and financially” to buy the ground now the Swans are “the only team playing at the venue”.

Chief executive Tom Gorringe said: “This is a highly significant moment for Swansea City as, after over two decades playing at the Swansea.com Stadium, we move towards taking outright ownership of the ground.”

He thanked the council for its “assistance and professionalism”, adding that owning the stadium was “of major strategic benefit” to the club.

The council issued its own statement after the cabinet papers were published, with council leader Rob Stewart saying it wanted “to do all we can to help the Swans be successful and return to the Premier League so fans can see them playing teams like Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United every week.”

“When Swansea City succeeds, the benefits extend far beyond the stadium,” Cllr Stewart added. “Local businesses benefit from increased footfall, jobs are supported, the city gains valuable international exposure, and communities enjoy a renewed sense of pride and optimism.”

No consultation has taken place on the sale. The report says that as freeholder the council has limited control or input over wider stakeholders — though it notes the club’s community ticket initiatives, including more than 100 tickets made available to its Foundation every game.

Under the Local Government Act, the council has a duty to obtain the best consideration reasonably obtainable when it disposes of land. The Director of Place certifies that the site has been adequately exposed to the market and that the offer represents the best price likely to be achieved — a position the report says an independent valuation has confirmed.

The land also forms part of existing playing fields, which means Welsh regulations requiring community involvement in disposal decisions must be considered — rules which normally require a public consultation before a playing field is sold, though the report notes the requirements do not apply in certain circumstances.

The council will lose the rent it currently receives once the freehold is sold, with the report noting budget adjustments will be needed to reduce rental targets.

An integrated impact assessment screening found no adverse implications and categorised the impacts as low — while noting the cumulative impact “may well be considerable if the outcome of the sale leads to a successful city football club”.

If cabinet agrees the sale, detailed terms and documentation will be delegated to the Director of Place, in consultation with the cabinet member for economy, finance and strategy and the council’s head of legal.

The decision comes days before the Swans open their Championship season at Stoke — in a campaign where a return to the Premier League would now carry a bonus for the council too.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

ST HELEN’S: New seafront stand, fan zone and near-7,000 capacity — council sets out full plans for £7.6m rebuild
The Ospreys’ new home taking shape across the city.

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans — with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe
The club’s plans for the stadium experience.

SWANSEA CITY: Swans open at Stoke — in a rare season with Cardiff and Wrexham in the league too
The fixtures for the season ahead.

https://www.europesays.com/ch/96078/ SWANSEA CITY: Swans head for the Alps — pre-season plans confirmed with Spanish visitors for SA1 #Alps #CDLeganes #HolsteinKiel #PreSeason #SwanseaCity #SwanseaComStadium #VfLBochum #VitorMatos

SWANSEA CITY: Swans head for the Alps — pre-season plans confirmed with Spanish visitors for SA1

The Swans have confirmed their pre-season plans — with an Alpine training camp, German opposition and a Spanish visitor to the Swansea.com Stadium before the new Championship season.

The first-team squad will report back to Fairwood in the coming days for physical testing before the training programme begins.

The squad will then spend a week in Austria, from 17 to 24 July, with the club saying the camp offers the chance to work in a different environment with full focus on training and matches.

Three games will be played during the week — starting with Holstein Kiel at the Kufstein Arena on Saturday 18 July, kicking off at 4.30pm local time.

VfL Bochum are the second opponents, at Fussballplatz Mittersill on Tuesday 21 July at 6pm local time.

The tour concludes on Friday 24 July at the same venue, against a European top-flight side yet to be announced.

Back home, Spanish side CD Leganes visit the Swansea.com Stadium on Saturday 1 August, with a 3pm kick-off.

That afternoon is likely to be supporters’ first home look at the summer signings — with Salzburg winger Moussa Yeo and Celtic defender Stephen Welsh already through the door.

Behind-closed-doors fixtures will also be played during pre-season, though these will not be publicised or open to the public.

Ticket information for the Austria games and the Leganes friendly is to be confirmed soon.

The Leganes game is the final public outing before competitive football begins — with the Swans opening their Carabao Cup campaign at home to Birmingham in the week before the league season starts.

The Championship opener follows on 15 August, away at Stoke — where Ethan Galbraith could line up against his old club just weeks after his eight-figure move to the Potteries.

Head coach Vitor Matos will use the five-week programme to bed in his reshaped squad before that Stoke trip.

And there’s plenty to build towards — a rare Championship season with Cardiff and Wrexham both in the division alongside the Swans.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Swans sign Salzburg winger Yeo in second summer swoop
Vitor Matos reunites with the 22-year-old on a four-year deal.

Swans accept eight-figure Stoke bid for star midfielder Galbraith
The first major departure of the Swansea summer.

Swans handed home Birmingham tie to open Carabao Cup campaign
The route into the new League Cup season, against a familiar face in the dugout.

SWANSEA CITY: Planners give fan zone the green light in principle — but the club has got some work to do

The principle is fine. Planners have accepted that a covered fan zone capable of holding more than 1,700 supporters behind the South Stand at the Swansea.com Stadium — with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and bierkeller bench seating — is an appropriate use of the site. The site is in the right location, it serves an identified need, and the planning history supports it.

But the response is detailed, and AFL Architects have a fair bit of work to do before a formal application can go in.

The most immediate problem is trees. The plans appear to show the building line coming right up to the row of trees along the southern edge of the active travel path — the walking and cycling route that runs along the northern edge of the site. Planners say those trees must stay, and the building will need to pull back to accommodate them.

That active travel route — which connects the Swansea City FC stadium area to the city centre and railway station — is a recurring theme throughout the response. Planners want a clearer design solution for how fans arriving at the fan zone will safely coexist with cyclists and pedestrians using the path.

The fan zone site sits in the same rapidly developing part of Swansea as the proposed new home for the Landore Park and Ride, which is being studied for relocation to Alamein Road just across from the stadium — a sign of just how much development pressure is building up in this corner of the city.

The area is moving fast in all directions — and construction on the £49m Skyline Swansea cable car and luge attraction began today, with earthworks starting on Kilvey Hill and groundworks under way at the Landore Park and Ride basecamp.

On design, the architects are told to go further. Planners want vibrant colours on the exposed steel framing, clerestory windows, a butterfly truss to bring in natural light, and an entrance canopy that takes design cues from the triangular structures of the stadium and the adjacent footbridge. The view toward Kilvey Hill — where the Skyline cable car could one day be visible — is flagged as an opportunity to exploit from the mezzanine level.

Accessibility is a gap in the current submission. The plans include a mezzanine level — which planners support — but say nothing about how wheelchair users and people with mobility needs will reach it. External lifts are recommended, and planners suggest making them a visual feature rather than something bolted on as an afterthought.

South Wales Police have also had their say, and their concerns are serious. They want physical hostile vehicle mitigation — barriers meeting security standard ISO 22343-1 — to prevent vehicles being used as weapons against crowds arriving at the fan zone. CCTV coverage, appropriate lighting, and measures to lock down the structure when not in use are also required.

And then there’s Martyn’s Law. The club will need to demonstrate how the fan zone complies with the Protected Duty under the legislation introduced following the Manchester Arena bombing. Given the venue’s capacity of more than 1,700, it falls within the enhanced tier — meaning formal security planning is not optional.

Noise is another issue. Residential properties in the Copper Quarter, including seven-storey apartment blocks with river-facing balconies, lie to the east. A designated Quiet Area sits around 70 metres away. A Noise Impact Assessment will likely be required, and the club needs to set out clearly what hours it proposes to operate — including for non-matchday events.

On the question of location — the site is outside a defined retail and leisure centre, which requires justification under planning policy — planners are broadly satisfied. They accept the fan zone serves a specific need linked to the stadium and couldn’t simply be relocated to a nearby retail park.

But they want the formal application backed up by stronger evidence: Championship fan zone comparisons, supporter experience data and the club’s own fan engagement plan would all help make the case.

There’s also a drainage note worth flagging for the architects. A sewer pipe runs beneath the active travel path to the north of the site, which could constrain construction.

The architects now have the full response and will be working on revised proposals. The club has publicly said it wants the fan zone ready for the 2026/27 season — a timeline that is looking tight but not impossible if a revised application moves quickly through the system.

More on Swansea City and the stadium district

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans
The original proposals — self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe.

Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road to Alamein Road
How the wider stadium district is being reimagined — and what it means for transport.

Penderyn Distillery handed keys to Morfa Copperworks site
Another major development transforming the area around the stadium.

Swansea’s Skyline project moves a step closer
The cable car proposal that would take visitors up Kilvey Hill — visible from the fan zone’s mezzanine level.

SWANSEA: Landore Park and Ride set to move across the road — as funding approved for design study of new Alamein Road site

The Landore Park and Ride is set to move — but not far. Funding has been approved through the Regional Transport Fund for a WelTAG stage 2 study to look at design proposals for a new facility on Alamein Road, just across from the existing site.

Alamein Road is an industrial estate immediately opposite the Swansea.com Stadium — placing the proposed new Park and Ride right at the heart of what is rapidly becoming one of the most intensively developed parts of Swansea.

A WelTAG stage 2 study is the Welsh Government’s standard process for developing detailed design proposals for transport schemes. The funding covers that design work only — no planning application has yet been submitted, no decision has been made, and no opening date has been set.

The Landore Park and Ride has been serving Swansea since at least 2002 and has become an established part of the city’s transport network. Parking costs just £1 a day for a car and up to four passengers. The site is served by the number 52 bus, operated by First Cymru and subsidised by Swansea Council, which runs every 20 minutes Monday to Saturday linking the site to Swansea railway station, Kingsway and the bus station.

However, the service has been struggling. A report before the council’s scrutiny programme committee earlier this year revealed the combined operating budget for Swansea’s two park and ride sites — Landore and Fabian Way — was £693,300 in 2024-25, but income was only £89,637 — a drop from £100,734 the previous year. Cheap city centre car parking was identified as one of the reasons for the low take-up.

The report also noted that capacity at the Landore site had already been reduced due to development work nearby — and that alternative locations were being explored. That process has now resulted in the Alamein Road design study.

The reason for the potential move is significant. The existing Landore site has been identified as the preferred location for the basecamp for the Skyline cable car project — the proposal to take visitors up Kilvey Hill — meaning the current Park and Ride would need to relocate to make way for it.

Construction at the Landore site has now formally begun — as Skyline Swansea confirmed today that earthworks are under way on Kilvey Hill and at the Park and Ride.

The area around the proposed new site is undergoing a dramatic transformation. Penderyn Distillery was handed the keys to the former Morfa Copperworks site — one of the most historically significant industrial landmarks in Wales — where they are developing a visitor centre that will draw tourists to this part of the city.

The copperworks restoration has yielded internationally significant archaeological discoveries and a Welsh business has been chosen to bring new life to its heritage buildings.

Nearby, the historic 70-tonne Bascule Bridge has been restored and a new £8m riverside cycle and walking path is being constructed linking the city centre to the stadium along the riverbank.

At the stadium itself, Swansea City have plans for a major fan zone for more than 1,700 supporters — complete with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe — which would significantly increase the number of people visiting the area on matchdays.

A well-placed Park and Ride at Alamein Road could serve not just everyday commuters but the growing number of visitors drawn to the stadium, Penderyn’s visitor centre, the copperworks heritage site and whatever else emerges from this part of Swansea in the years ahead.

A new Park and Ride in this location would also need to be designed with that emerging visitor economy in mind — not just as a commuter car park, but as a gateway to a corner of the city being rapidly reimagined.

The WelTAG design study will inform what the new facility might look like and whether it is viable before any further steps are taken. There is no guarantee that a planning application will follow, and any eventual scheme would need to go through the full planning process.

SWANSEA: Barges needed to build new £8m riverside cycle and walking path linking city centre to Swansea.com Stadium

A new walking and cycling route along the River Tawe has been given the green light by Swansea Council — with the project set to become one of the most ambitious pieces of active travel infrastructure the city has seen.

The path will run for a mile along the west bank of the Tawe, from a point north of the Tawe bridges through to the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks area — linking the city centre with the copperworks, Swansea.com Stadium and Morfa Retail Park for cyclists and pedestrians. It will be built in three phases and is expected to take three years to complete.

The total cost of the scheme, including design and project management, is £8.25 million. That will be funded through a combination of £6.6 million from the Welsh Government’s regional transport fund, £1.4 million from the UK Government, and a £250,000 developer contribution linked to a separate planning permission.

The council has confirmed the project will be a complex engineering undertaking. A new revetment — a reinforced structure to support the walkway along the riverbank — will need to be constructed, and sections of the work will have to be carried out from barges because of access restrictions along parts of the river corridor.

Once complete, the new path will connect with an existing stretch of shared-use path near the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks — an area undergoing a major heritage restoration that has attracted significant investment in recent years, including the arrival of Penderyn Distillery at the site. The new route will add to the 85 miles of shared-use paths already available across Swansea.

For cyclists and pedestrians, the route will offer a traffic-free connection between the city centre and a cluster of major destinations to the north — including Swansea.com Stadium, home of Swansea City AFC, and the growing Morfa Retail Park. The Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, one of Wales’ most significant industrial heritage sites, sits at the northern end of the route.

The three-phase approach to construction reflects both the engineering complexity of the project and the need to keep disruption manageable along a stretch of riverside that already attracts walkers and recreational users.

The Tawe path forms the headline project in a wider programme of cycling and walking investment confirmed for Swansea in 2026/27. Also included in the settlement is a £700,000 shared-use path linking Ffordd Beck in Gowerton to Pont Y Cob Road — a route that would finally deliver a safe connection between the two communities that has been in planning since 2022. At the moment there is no footpath between the two locations and the only provision for cyclists is a painted advisory route on a narrow main road.

A £500,000 upgrade of the existing shared-use path between Dunvant and Gowerton is also confirmed, widening the route to improve safety and capacity. Gowerton has been the focus of active travel investment in recent years — a new cycling and walking link to Gowerton station opened after significant delays, and the latest round of funding continues to build on that network.

Taken together, the three cycling and walking schemes represent a significant step forward for active travel connectivity across the western side of Swansea — connecting the city centre to the river corridor, and linking Gowerton more effectively to both Dunvant and Loughor.

Stuart Davies, Head of Service for Transport and Highways at Swansea Council, said the funding would enable the council to deliver “a wide range of transport related projects that will benefit motorists, public transport users as well as pedestrians and cyclists.”

The broader transport package for 2026/27 also includes a £750,000 e-bike hire scheme with up to 500 bikes to be made available for short trips across Swansea, further strengthening the active travel offer alongside the new infrastructure. Locations for the e-bike hire points have yet to be confirmed.

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The most recent active travel milestone in Gowerton, which the new investment builds on.

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One of the major regeneration projects at the northern end of the new Tawe riverside path.

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The wider regeneration vision for the area at the northern end of the new Tawe path.

Swansea City plan huge fan zone for more than 1,700 fans — with self-pour beer taps, a big screen and a bierkeller vibe

The club has lodged a pre-application planning inquiry with Swansea Council for the development, which would sit behind the South Stand on land that currently serves as little more than a service road. The reference number is 2026/0561/PRE.

And the ambition is serious. Plans drawn up by AFL Architects show a covered structure roughly 40 metres long, with rows of food and drink kiosks, a raised viewing gallery with self-pour beer taps, a stage, a large screen and bierkeller-style bench seating. Capacity at ground floor level would be around 1,166 — rising to more than 1,766 with a full upper mezzanine added above the kiosks.

The club’s own brief for the project doesn’t pull its punches about why it’s needed. It notes that 72% of fans arrive more than an hour before kick-off but currently have a poor experience — with narrow concourses, slow serving times and toilets opposite the food stands. Many supporters simply head elsewhere to spend their money before games. The new fan zone is designed to change all of that, with the brief explicitly calling for frictionless self-service technology and an Instagram “wow moment” at the entrance. Indicative visuals show a sweeping club mural running the full length of the building’s exterior.

The club wants it open for the start of the 2026/27 season.

There are some physical constraints on what can be built. A public footpath and mature trees to the west must be kept, an operational electricity substation limits the northern end, and a steep embankment restricts the east side. The architects say all of these have been worked into the design.

A second phase is also being talked about. The area beyond the fan zone could eventually house a football museum, community event space or premium food and drink venue — giving the stadium a reason for people to visit on non-matchday days too.

It all fits with the vision Snoop Dogg laid out when he became a minority investor in the club last summer. The rapper told Swansea Bay News he wanted to make Swansea “the Vegas of Wales” over the next decade — transforming the stadium into a destination, not just a matchday venue. A fan zone of this scale, with live entertainment, big screens and a self-service bar, is exactly what that would need.

The financial case for it is also pretty clear. Swansea City’s most recent accounts show the club made a £21.6 million loss last season, with owners having to pump in £21 million just to keep things running. Turnover was £22.3 million against costs of £51.3 million. Getting fans to spend more money at the ground — which the brief specifically targets — would help close that gap and reduce the owners’ reliance on writing cheques to keep the lights on.

This is a pre-application inquiry, which is the first step in the planning process rather than a full application. Swansea City Football Club has been approached for comment.

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The financial backdrop — and why growing matchday revenue matters so much to Swansea’s future.

Historic 70-tonne Bascule Bridge makes its move as restoration takes a major step forward

Drivers near the Swansea.com Stadium should expect disruption tonight as one of the city’s most unusual road users makes its journey through the streets — a 70-tonne Victorian bridge on the move.

Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge will be transported from its temporary home at the Landore Park and Ride site to a verge on Brunel Way tonight, where it will wait to be lifted back into its permanent position over the River Tawe.

The move will begin at 9pm and is expected to be completed by 6am tomorrow morning. A rolling road closure will be in place on a short section of the A4217 near the stadium before moving on to Brunel Way, with local diversions set up along the route.

The almost 120-year-old steel span — a Grade II listed structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument — has been in storage while specialist restoration work is carried out on its damaged timber supports. That work is expected to be complete early next year, after which the bridge will be lifted back into place.

Once restored and reinstated, the Bascule Bridge will form part of a shared-use path alongside Brunel Way, crossing the River Tawe and giving pedestrians and cyclists a historic link across the water.

The bridge’s return is part of the wider restoration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site — one of Swansea’s most significant industrial heritage projects, which is bringing back to life the remains of what was once the largest copper works in the world.

As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, the restoration of the Bascule Bridge has been a careful, painstaking process given its protected status. The structure cannot simply be repaired — every intervention must be sympathetic to its heritage value and approved in line with its listed building and scheduled monument designations.

Tonight’s move brings the bridge one significant step closer to the moment Swansea residents will be able to walk and cycle across it again for the first time in years.

Drivers in the area tonight are advised to allow extra time and follow the signed diversions.

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Restoration work on Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge moves ahead
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Earlier coverage of the painstaking process of bringing one of Swansea’s most unusual listed structures back to life.

Llanelli rallies around as businesses offer lifeline to Stradey Park Hotel staff and customers

The iconic four-star venue in Furnace closed with immediate effect on Monday, leaving employees without jobs and couples fearing for their wedding deposits just weeks after the hotel announced a high-profile partnership with the Scarlets.

In the wake of the shock announcement, the local business community has wasted no time in stepping up, with several venues confirming they are ready to help those caught in the fallout.

The Swansea.com Stadium is among those leading the charge, with Mel Bourke, Head of Sales, confirming that their team is standing by to assist anyone whose planned events have been thrown into chaos.

“The sudden closure of Stradey Park Hotel is incredibly sad news, and my thoughts are with everyone affected from staff to couples, families, and organisations,” Mel Bourke has said in a statement.

She added that the stadium team would do “everything we can to support you, guide you through your options, and make the transition as smooth as possible” for those needing a venue at short notice.

According to the Gateway Resort in Bynea, they are also ready to provide immediate employment opportunities for those who have suddenly found themselves out of work.

The resort has confirmed it has positions available from front-of-house to management roles and has urged former Stradey Park staff to get in touch via email at [email protected].

Meanwhile, The New Selwyn Samuels Event Arena has made a generous offer to those who have lost money on bookings, providing free room hire to help ease the financial blow.

“If anyone has lost money – we will offer you a FREE HIRE here at the The New Selwyn Samuels Event Arena,” the team has confirmed, adding that they want to “try and make good of a bad situation.”

The arena, which can be contacted on 077296 55114, has said it can assist with weddings, parties, and proms, even allowing families to provide their own food and decorations to keep costs down.

This surge of community spirit comes as a major relief to many in Llanelli who were left reeling by the hotel’s collapse so soon after its high-profile reopening.

SNOOP IN SA1: Rap legend issues ‘Jack Army’ rallying cry ahead of first Swansea City visit

The rap icon has confirmed he will make his first visit to the Swansea.com Stadium next Tuesday (February 24) for the midweek clash with Preston North End—and he’s calling on supporters to pack the stands.

In a video posted on social media, the legendary rapper delivered a personal rallying cry to Swansea City fans ahead of his highly anticipated appearance in SA1.

‘Your Dogg Will Be at the Game’

Snoop Dogg said:

“Uh-oh. Tuesday, February 24. Swansea in Wales. That’s right. I’ll be at the game and I need to see you at the game too. Let’s go Swansea. Represent one time. Your Dogg will be at the game. Spread the word.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DU78y3LgUpY/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

The visit marks a significant moment for the club, as Snoop became a minority investor in Swansea City alongside fellow celebrity stakeholder Luka Modrić. His good friend Martha Stewart has also invested, with the American businesswoman taking in the home clash with Wrexham back in December.

Swans Boss: ‘Everyone Is Really Excited’

Swans boss Vitor Matos has already admitted there is a fair amount of excitement around Snoop’s upcoming visit, but insists his main focus will be on securing three points.

Vitor Matos said:

“I think every time an owner of the club comes, it’s always good. He is of course high profile, everyone is really excited. We all are really excited to have him in here.

“But yeah, most important for me is to focus on the game and to focus the team on the game. Then yeah, I hope we can have a chat, and have a conversation as well with someone that is really keen on sports.

“So really happy to be having him here and that’s it until then, we still have a few games to play.”

Snoop-Mania Hits Swansea

The visit comes just days after local Swansea artist Ian Hendry successfully delivered a pop-art portrait of Snoop Dogg to the rap legend using the “Six Degrees of Separation” theory—a story that captured the imagination of fans across South Wales.

With Snoop now set to take his seat in the stands at the Swansea.com Stadium, the city is bracing for “Snoop-mania” as fans clamour for tickets to witness the historic occasion.

Snoop Dogg is coming to Swansea — co‑owner to attend Swans match this month

A first trip to see the Swans in person

The club says the rapper will be in Swansea for the Championship fixture against Preston North End on Tuesday, February 24, with kick‑off at 7.45pm. It will be his first time watching the team live since joining the Swans’ ownership group in July 2025.

Snoop has been following the club from the US and will travel to south Wales to see Vítor Matos’ side under the lights.

Pitchside appearance planned

Swansea City says he will appear pitchside before the match to lead supporters in a pre‑game fan display, with more details to be confirmed in the coming days.

During his visit, the club says he also plans to spend time in the local community, meeting supporters and getting a feel for the city and region.

‘I can’t wait to finally make my first visit’

Snoop Dogg, Swansea City co‑owner, said he had been looking forward to the trip since joining the club.

“I know it has been a long time coming, but I cannot wait to finally make my first visit to Swansea City and be among all the YJBs for our game against Preston,” he said.

“From the moment we talked about me becoming an owner, I have been looking forward to the chance to be with you all at the Swansea.com Stadium.

“I have heard so many great things about the atmosphere, especially when we play under the lights.

“When I watched the Wrexham game, where we showed we are the capital of Welsh football, the noise in the stadium sounded incredible even from over 5,000 miles away. I can’t wait to be a part of it.”

Tickets for the Preston match are available via the club’s website.