Developed by Swansea Council, initial building work for two basement floors of the 71/72 Kingsway scheme has been completed, paving the way for construction of three more storeys at street level and above.

Bouygues UK are main contractors for the project, which is taking shape at the site where a number of nightclubs were once located. These included Top Rank, Ritzy’s, Time and Envy, and, most recently, Oceana.

With construction due for completion by the end of 2023, the development will provide space for 600 jobs in sectors like tech, digital and the creative industries.

Once complete, the scheme will be carbon zero in operation and worth £32.6m a year to Swansea’s economy.

It will include 114,000 square feet of commercial floor space featuring flexible co-working and networking opportunities. A new link between Oxford Street and The Kingsway will also be constructed.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader,  said: “This is a another milestone for the construction of the new development at 71/72 Kingsway, which means progress in future will soon be even more visible to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians who pass the site every day.

“We know from our discussions with local tech and digital companies and entrepreneurs that there’s a need for this kind of flexible, modern office space in Swansea.

“This development will meet that demand, help stop businesses of this kind from relocating to other cities and create more footfall and spending for other city centre businesses.”

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “The scheme follows-on from a major transformation of The Kingsway to create a more business-friendly environment as Swansea’s £1bn regeneration programme continues.

“Other features of the new development will include a green roof terrace and south-facing balconies overlooking the city centre and Swansea Bay.”

The 71/72 Kingsway development is being part-funded by the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal and supported by the European Regional Development Fund through the Welsh Government.

Construction is also ongoing nearby on a ‘living building’ project led by Hacer Developments that will be among the UK’s first schemes of its kind. Made up of the former Woolworths unit and a new adjoining 13-storey structure, the scheme will include green walls and green roofs, an educational facility, retail, offices, a landscaped courtyard, rooftop solar panels, battery storage and gardens. Pobl Group will manage 50 affordable apartments forming part of the scheme.

The draft corporate plan developed by the Corporate Joint Committee for South West Wales sets out a vision for the region along with measures to best realise it in the coming years.

Among the measures are the production of regional transport and strategic development plans to better connect the region’s communities and maximise the potential of regional growth opportunities to leave a long-term legacy for future generations.

The delivery of regional energy and economic development plans would also help further decarbonise the region, seeking to exploit the benefits of the emerging floating offshore wind sector and related developments in carbon capture and hydrogen technologies.

This has the potential to create thousands more green and secure jobs to benefit local people and local businesses.

The draft corporate plan and a series of questions are now available here for residents, businesses and other organisations in Carmarthenshire, Neath Port Talbot, Pembrokeshire, Swansea and beyond to give feedback by Wednesday March 8.

Cllr Rob Stewart, Chairman of the Corporate Joint Committee for South West Wales, said: “Our goal is to create a decarbonised region that’s prosperous and well-connected with as many well-paid job opportunities as possible for local people.

“Building on City Deal investment in projects throughout South West Wales and the strong track record we have in partnership working, the vision and objectives outlined in this draft corporate plan are aimed at further boosting our region over the next decade or so.

“All residents and businesses across the region stand to benefit from the work on energy, economic development, strategic development and transport we’ll be carrying out, so it’s important we take people’s views on board before taking next steps.

“That’s why I’d encourage people to take a look at the consultation that’s now live and fill out the questionnaire that’s available to ensure all feedback is taken into account.”

All responses to the consultation will be considered before an updated draft plan goes to the Corporate Joint Committee for approval in March.

Formally constituted in January 2022, the Corporate Joint Committee for South West Wales includes the Leaders of Carmarthenshire Council, Neath Port Talbot Council, Pembrokeshire Council and Swansea Council, as well as senior representatives of The Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire National Park authorities.

Introduced by the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021, it’s one of four such bodies established in Wales.

But thousands more who are eligible for a £200 fuel support payment or a cost of living grant are being urged to get their applications in.

Last year the council has paid out almost £20m in grants to hard-pressed families and individuals, including more than 76,000 cost of living payments, a further 40,000 discretionary cost of living payments, 20,000 fuel payments and 4,500 unpaid carers’ payments.

The fuel payment scheme runs until 5pm on February 28 and the discretionary cost of living payments scheme closes at the end of March. Anyone who thinks they might be eligible but have not yet applied, should get their applications in soon.

The Welsh Government-funded support is in addition to any UK Government winter fuel payments made to pensioners via the Department for Work and Pensions.

Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council, said those eligible for the grant would be paid as quickly as possible.

He said: “The Cost of Living crisis is affecting everyone. It is awful that many householders are having to make difficult decisions about how to heat their homes and feed their families.

“That is why our teams are working hard to ensure tens of thousands of Swansea families have benefited from the scheme already. But with Christmas and colder winter weather coming, we want to make sure that everyone who is entitled to help gets it.”

Over the last few months the council’s Revenues and Benefits Team who are administering the Welsh Government grants scheme has sent out 21,000 letters to people eligible for the fuel support payment and around 20% of them have still to apply.

In addition the team has fielded more than 141,000 phone calls, emails and face-to-face meetings to help people get what they are entitled to.

Cllr Stewart said: “I want to thank the team for doing a great job supporting residents, it makes a difference in people’s lives every day. The team is still available and ready to step in to answer queries and support people through the process if they need it.

“It’s vital that people apply for the grants that are still on offer. If they don’t, they can’t be paid. We will also not be able to accept late applications.”

He added: “Throughout the pandemic Swansea Council was there for the people of Swansea and businesses communities, supporting them through unprecedented times.

“We will also be side-by-side with them through the cost of living crisis.”

Under the scheme, households eligible to apply are those where the person who has to pay for the fuel for their home, or their partner, is entitled to one or more of a range of benefits at any time between September 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023.

These include Income Support, Income-Based Job Seekers’ Allowance, Universal Credit, Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credits, Pension Credit or Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance but there are other benefits that make people eligible. People may also be entitled if other adults or children living with them are receiving certain benefits.

More details about the schemes, the online application form and FAQs are on the Council’s website: www.swansea.gov.uk/fuelsupport . 

Anyone who is eligible to apply for a Winter Fuel Support Payment, whether they are sent an invitation to claim the payment or not, can use the form to apply. 

Weather permitting, the project in Townhill Road, Mayhill, will start on Sunday night as the major resurfacing scheme on the busy Carmarthen Road comes to an end.

In addition, further resurfacing work will also be completed along the main road through Birchgrove (Birchgrove Road). A 600m section will get a new road surface between the junctions of Heol Las and Heol Dulais. The works follow on from resurfacing along other sections of the road in recent weeks.

All  are on the back of plans for more than 2.5km of road resurfacing planned for the coming weeks.

Andrew Stevens, Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure said: “Last month Cabinet agreed to spend an extra £1m this year as part of our plans to invest £5m extra in the city’s network over the next three years.

“Carmarthen Road is one of our busiest arterial roads and, despite the wintry and wet weather we’ve had recently, resurfacing there should be complete within the next week or so.

“We’re also getting in touch with residents in Townhill Road, Mayhill, this week to let them know resurfacing work there is expected to start, weather permitting, on January 29.

“Townhill Road residents have been asking for the work to be done for a while and although some disruption is inevitable, our contractors will be doing all they can to keep it to a minimum.”

The upgrades are on top of the council’s pothole pledge which saw extra staff drafted in so that more than 750 potholes caused by severe wintry and wet weather were filled in during the first two weeks of January. 

The overall investment will mean that in 2022/23 an extra £1million will be spent on highway maintenance, including repairs to pavements and also tackling drainage and flooding issues in parts of the city.

£2 million will be added to future approved highway maintenance budgets in 2023/24 and 2024/25.

Cllr Stevens said: “We’ve already committed to investing nearly £3.5 million into roads and pavements in Swansea this year.

“The extra money we want to invest will help us improve our roads and tackle flooding issues we have witnessed this year when severe weather has occurred.”

“Motorists and residents want to see us invest in our highway network so they can go about their lives and not be affected by issues such as flooding to properties or damage to vehicles.

“We’ve already got an excellent highway maintenance programme in place which means our teams are out every week repairing roads and responding to calls from the public.

“I’m confident this extra funding will enable us to carry out even more repairs and maintenance during the next three years.”

The additional funding will be provided via the Council’s Economic Recovery fund (ERF) and from its Insurance Reserves.

The Council recently reported improvements to major routes in the city with almost three kilometres of new road surfaces along Pentregethin Road in Cwmbwrla, Castle Street in Loughor, Pentre Road in Pontarddulais and Coalbrook Road, Grovesend.