Multi–million pound plans to transform a rundown area of Swansea have taken a major step forward with planning permission being approved for Coastal Housing’s £25million Urban Village on the High Street, The Strand and Kings Lane.
Designed by Holder Mathias Architects on behalf of Coastal Housing Group, the urban village will provide a much needed new–look retail frontage for Swansea High Street while also bringing back into use a derelict area of The Strand.
The Urban Village will be developed in phases with a series of new courtyard spaces linking shops, offices, food and drink outlets and 76 affordable apartments. Wales´ first "creative cluster" is designed for people involved in a wide range of creative industries such as advertising and marketing, architecture, computer and video games, crafts, design, fashion, film, video and animation, the music industries, publishing, software design, and television, radio and media, helping create a vibrant place to work, live and shop.
Cllr Chris Holley, Swansea Council Leader, said: “This is one of the most important developments for the city in 40 years and I’m happy to see it coming to fruition after years of discussions and hard work behind the scenes. “I think it will make a significant difference for residents and retail businesses in High Street."
The creative cluster will reflect both Swansea´s heritage and innovation, and will house the first ever ´office block´ in Wales created specifically for commercial creative businesses allowing the creative supply chain to be situated in one place in a dedicated commercial and supportive environment.
Coastal Housing is working alongside the City and County of Swansea and the Welsh Assembly Government, with the latter providing financial help from their Strategic Regeneration Area funding programme
The scheme should generate around 320 construction jobs over five years, according to the plans, plus around 426 full and part–time jobs, once completed.
Coastal Housing development director Geoff Pettifor said he believed there was already strong demand for commercial space at the creative cluster. "We have got people waiting to sign up, at this stage we can be really flexible about space and welcome enquiries from the creative and retail sectors” he said. Our aim to create some destination shopping outlets that people will want to travel to including clothing and delicatessens etc
Creative clusters have taken root in Bristol, Brighton and Birmingham. Castle ward councillor David Phillips is convinced they´re the way forward, insisting they acted as a magnet for commercial activities, bringing like minded people together — for example, film production.
Terry Morley, director at Holder Mathias, said: “We’re delighted that our designs have received planning permission and work can now begin on regenerating this key site in Swansea city centre.
“Our proposals for the scheme will help breath new life into an area of Swansea that has fallen behind other parts of the city. The scheme will better connect the east and west of the city and open up a vibrant new area for people to work, live and shop in Swansea.”
The Urban Village is the third scheme that Holder Mathias has designed for Coastal Housing Group, following its designs for a £7.5million eco-housing development overlooking the Prince of Wales Dock due for completion later this yearand the Mariners Court SA1 development completed last year.
Cardiff, Bristol and Exeter based Mi-Space, part of the Midas Group, have been selected as contractors for the development