Sports, play and major projects to benefit from £96m investment package

Swansea Council is set to spend more than £750,000 on its play area upgrade programme that's already seen more than 50 neighbourhood get new swings, roundabouts and other facilities.

Around £235,000 has also been earmarked for an upgrade of the Mynydd Newydd changing rooms close to the recent Bryntawe 3G pitch improvements. And another £217,000 has been allocated to create new entrances at Swansea Market.

As well as that the next phase in the regeneration of the Hafod Morfa Copperworks is being boosted by more than £18.25m for the restoration of the area's laboratory building.

And the ongoing city centre community hub development and the Mumbles sea defences are set to share around £25m as the programmes continue into the coming year.

A report on the planned capital spending of more than £96m in Swansea in the coming year was approved by Full Council on March 6. The money is being found from a variety of sources, including borrowing, capital receipts and grants from the City Deal, Welsh and UK governments.

Among the highlights of the Capital Budget agreed at Full Council last night were:

• £55m next year for more homes and council housing with a commitment to invest £250m by 2028.
• Around £20m committed for sea defences, including a prom upgrade, green space and paths for cyclists and pedestrians
• £5.4m on highways infrastructure including more for potholes and small resurfacing projects with more investment planned
• An overall £30m for the Swansea Valley river corridor upgrades
• A new fleet of 37 refuse vehicles with 17 ordered last year and another 20 to come
• £1m for two strategic skateparks and upgrades at existing skate areas
• Opening this year are the council-supported Palace Theatre and 71/72 Kingsway
• Opening next year is Y Storfa city centre community hub, including a new central library

Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said the mix of capital spending on community schemes, highways, Swansea Market and major projects would make the most of every pound spent.

He added: "As well as major projects like Y Storfa in the city centre we're also investing £55m in new council homes and upgrades for many others alongside our commitment to community projects like the £1m skate parks initiative.

"Over the last decade we've built seven new schools and upgraded seven more with three others currently in progress. Our investment has been backed by tens of millions of pounds in Welsh Government grants and it's an opportunity Swansea intends to continue to benefit from in the future.

"Capital spending means our communities are benefiting from new play areas, new schools and new community facilities that wouldn't be possible otherwise. We would all be poorer without them."

"The new city centre community hub we're funding with Welsh Government and City Deal support will bring more people into the city centre, encouraging more shopping and more private investment on top of more than £100m the sector has invested there in recent times.

"Apart from ensuring the community of Mumbles is protected from the sea for generations to come, the sea defences we're funding there will see a better prom and more for visitors to enjoy, boosting local businesses and the tourism trade."

The coming financial year's £55m for council homes and building new homes is being paid for mainly from tenants rents and Welsh Government grants. None of the money is coming from council tax.