CROESERW: 25 new affordable homes and assisted-living flats planned for vacant Menai Avenue land

Plans are taking shape to build 25 affordable homes on vacant land in Croeserw, in a scheme that would also bring assisted-living flats to the village.

Social landlord Tai Tarian is behind the proposals for two parcels of unused land off Menai Avenue and Pen-y-Bryn.

The housing association, which manages more than 9,000 homes across Neath Port Talbot, is consulting the public before submitting a formal planning application.

The plans would deliver a mix of homes aimed at a range of needs.

These include 10 one-bedroom walk-up apartments, four two-bedroom bungalows and two two-bedroom houses.

The scheme would also provide nine one-bedroom assisted-living apartments, housed in a larger block designed as a feature building for the area.

According to the developer, the assisted-living block would be set against the natural slope of the hillside, so its size would not dominate the surrounding streets.

Both sites have stood empty for years.

The larger plot fronting Pen-y-Bryn once contained homes that were demolished around 2012, and the scheme would restore the street scene there.

The smaller plot off Menai Avenue is open land between two existing housing areas, crossed by a public bridleway that would need to be diverted for the work to go ahead.

A medium-pressure gas main running through the site would also need diverting.

The designs draw on local materials, with a palette of white render, grey brick and slate-effect roofs intended to fit the character of the surrounding 1970s housing.

The homes would be fitted with low-carbon heating through air-source heat pumps, and a sustainable drainage scheme is planned to manage surface water and boost biodiversity.

All the one-bedroom apartments would come with a parking space, the developer says.

The architects behind the scheme, Spring Design Consultancy, say the development would create “a unique and attractive but also sustainable and functional place to live.”

The land sits within the settlement boundary in the Neath Port Talbot Local Development Plan, and the proposals would be assessed against the council’s affordable housing and design policies.

Croeserw, in the Afan Valley, has seen significant regeneration interest in recent years as efforts continue to bring new investment and housing to the former mining communities.

The plans are being brought forward by planning consultants Asbri Planning on behalf of Tai Tarian.

The proposals are at the pre-application consultation stage, the first formal step in the planning process.

For major developments in Wales, the law requires a developer to consult the public before submitting an application, giving people an early chance to see the plans and comment on them.

The consultation must run for at least 28 days. At this stage, comments go to the developer’s planning agent rather than to the council.

Anyone wishing to comment must do so by 10 July 2026, by emailing [email protected] or writing to Asbri Planning at Suite D, 220 High Street, Swansea, SA1 1NW.

A formal planning application would follow, and residents would be able to have their say again before Neath Port Talbot Council makes a decision.

If approved, the development would be built on land that has sat unused for more than a decade.

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MORRISTON: Plans submitted to demolish former Tan Y Lan school for 24 affordable flats — with Victorian building set to be lost

Plans have been submitted to demolish the former Ysgol Gymraeg Tan Y Lan school in Morriston and replace it with 24 affordable apartments.

The proposals – submitted by Dyfed Developments SPV2 Ltd through planning agent Asbri Planning – would see the existing buildings on the Tan Y Lan Terrace site cleared to make way for a new C-shaped block of flats.

The site has stood vacant since the new £9.9 million Tan Y Lan School opened nearby in 2022, drawing pupils away from the original site.

Under the new proposals, the development would deliver 18 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom apartments – all of which would be classified as affordable housing.

The developer says the apartments would be energy-efficient with an EPC A rating, and the scheme includes 24 parking spaces – one per apartment.

The proposal was reduced from 27 flats to 24 during pre-application discussions with Swansea Council.

The revised C-shaped block has been designed to step down the slope towards Vicarage Road – reducing the visual impact and meaning the building would appear as just two storeys when viewed from the streetscene.

However, the proposals would result in the loss of the site’s Victorian stone school building – a structure the developer’s own Design and Access Statement acknowledges is “considered to be of heritage value as a result of their materials, architectural form and their location within the historic built and natural fabric.”

The site sits 250 metres west of the Morriston Conservation Area, although the Victorian building itself is not formally listed.

Two single-storey demountable classroom buildings – which were used by the school in its later years on the site – would also be demolished as part of the works.

The development would also require the loss of a number of trees, although the developer has committed to retaining a silver birch tree at the centre of the site and incorporating it into new communal gardens.

The Design and Access Statement acknowledges that approximately half of the site lies within Natural Resources Wales’ flood zones two and three for surface water and small watercourse flooding.

Sustainable urban drainage systems including rain gardens and bio-retention features would be incorporated into the scheme to manage surface water on the site.

The proposed apartments would be a mix of one-bedroom and two-bedroom units arranged across three floors.

According to the planning documents, the proposed external materials would include facing brick in various colours, fibre cement roof slates, and grey-finished windows and French doors.

The developer says the site is well-located for sustainable transport, lying within walking distance of Morriston Park, a supermarket, pharmacy and church, and being served by the number 24, 45 and 142 bus services that operate between Morriston Hospital and the city centre.

The site lies less than four miles north of Swansea city centre and is within easy reach of Llansamlet and junction 45 of the M4.

The Tan Y Lan school site has a long history in the local community, having served as Ysgol Gymraeg Tan Y Lan – one of the area’s Welsh-medium primary schools – until pupils moved to the new site in 2022.

Pupils at the school created a lasting legacy ahead of the move, with various keepsake projects undertaken to mark the end of an era at the original site.

A formal pre-application consultation on the proposed scheme is now under way, giving members of the public an opportunity to comment on the plans before a full planning application is submitted to Swansea Council.

Members of the public have until 1 June 2026 to make representations on the proposed development.

Comments should be sent to Asbri Planning by email to [email protected], or by post to Asbri Planning Ltd, Suite D, 1st Floor, 220 High Street, Swansea, SA1 1NW.

Following the conclusion of the consultation, a full planning application will be submitted to Swansea Council for determination – with all responses to the consultation forming part of the supporting documents.

The story of Ysgol Gymraeg Tan Y Lan

Tan Y Lan pupils and staff start new year in new home
The moment pupils moved into the new £9.9m Welsh-medium school in 2022.

Pupils create lasting legacy ahead of move to new school
How pupils marked the end of an era at the original Tan Y Lan school site.

Pupils gain insight into construction at £9.9m new school
Tan Y Lan pupils were given a behind-the-scenes look at their new school being built.

Tan Y Lan pupils get building thanks to Swansea school contractors
How the contractors building the new school engaged with the pupils who would soon move in.

Good progress on five major Swansea school projects
Tan Y Lan featured among the major school capital projects under way across Swansea.

TOWNHILL: Social housing developer plans 27 affordable homes on derelict nursery site

A derelict plot in Townhill — one of Wales’s oldest council-built communities — could be about to get a new lease of life, with plans lodged for 27 affordable apartments on land that has sat empty since the demolition of a nursery school more than a decade ago.

The proposal, submitted by Swansea planning agents Asbri Planning, would see the former Bryn Nursery School site at the junction of Townhill Road and Tower Gardens transformed into a 100% affordable housing development — every home ring-fenced for people who cannot afford to buy or rent on the open market.

Behind the scheme is Castell Group, a Swansea Vale-based developer that specialises in affordable and social housing across south Wales, working with registered social landlords including Caredig and Hafod.

The site has a long and frustrated planning history. Bryn Nursery School closed in 2005 and was demolished around 2011, leaving a vacant brownfield plot on one of Townhill’s main roads. Earlier proposals for a 58-bed care home were approved but never built. In 2021, budget supermarket chain Heron Foods — owned by B&M — twice applied to build a small express-format store on the site, only for both applications to be refused by Swansea Council on retail and highway grounds. The land has remained empty ever since.

The development would sit in a neighbourhood with a particular place in Welsh housing history. Townhill — built on the hillside above the city from the 1920s onwards — was one of the first purpose-built council communities in Wales, planned to provide decent homes for Swansea’s working-class population at a time when much of the city’s housing was overcrowded and inadequate. A century on, the demand for affordable homes here hasn’t gone away.

The proposed development would comprise 17 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments across several two and three storey brick-built blocks with pitched roofs, in keeping with the surrounding streets. The site — currently overgrown scrubland that has regenerated since the old nursery came down — is just 150 metres from Townhill’s local centre, within walking distance of shops, a pharmacy, a library and a primary school, and close to bus services into Swansea city centre and Morriston Hospital.

The scheme has already been through informal discussions with Swansea Council, which confirmed that the principle of residential development here was acceptable. The original proposal was for 33 units, but this was reduced to 27 following council feedback about the site’s proximity to Tower Court — a supported independent living scheme for older residents next door. A flat roof design was also rejected by planners who noted that the surrounding area is entirely pitched-roof in character.

The plans include 22 parking spaces, secure cycle storage, extensive landscaping and tree planting, sustainable urban drainage, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points.

The public consultation runs until 24 April 2026.

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Former Sancta Maria Hospital to be demolished under new plans for 42 affordable flats in Uplands

The proposals come from Beacon Cymru, the housing association formerly known as Coastal Housing, which wants to build 42 affordable homes on the site between Richmond Road and Ffynone Road.

Earlier plans to keep original buildings dropped

The site, which has been empty since the hospital moved to SA1 in 2021, includes two 19th-century villas that were later converted into a nursing home. Earlier design options explored keeping and converting the original buildings, but Beacon Cymru says those plans were dropped due to cost and layout issues.

Instead, the latest scheme would see all existing buildings demolished and replaced with five new blocks. The flats would be a mix of one-, two- and three-bedroom units, all for affordable rent.

Conservation area, steep site among key challenges

The site sits within the Ffynone & Uplands Conservation Area, and the design team says the new buildings will reflect the area’s character. The blocks are described as “pavilions in a landscape”, with features inspired by the original villas.

The plans also include new landscaping, sustainable drainage, and car parking. The site’s steep slope and proximity to listed buildings have shaped the layout and access points.

Public drop-in event on 16 October

A formal Pre-Application Consultation (PAC) is now open, run by Asbri Planning on behalf of Beacon Cymru. Residents have until 5 November to submit comments.

A public drop-in event will be held at St James Church Hall, Walter Road, Uplands on Wednesday 16 October from 4pm to 7pm. Full plans and consultation details are available on the Asbri Planning website.

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#affordableHomes #AsbriPlanning #BeaconCymru #CoastalHousing #construction #Ffynone #FfynoneUplandsConservationArea #flats #planningApplication #SanctaMariaHospital #socialHousing #Swansea #Uplands

Plans revealed for Cambrian Way Shopping Centre revamp with 27 new town centre apartments

Asbri Planning, acting for the Draycott Group, has launched a statutory pre‑application consultation on plans to alter and extend the existing building on John Street. The scheme would see parts of the rooftop demolished and the upper floors reconfigured to create 27 apartments — a mix of 23 one‑bedroom, one two‑bedroom (three‑person) and three two‑bedroom (four‑person) homes — spread across the first, second and third floors.

The ground floor shopping arcade and retail units would be retained, with shopfront improvements along John Street and St Catherine’s Walk. The upper‑floor homes would be served by dedicated entrances, cycle storage and roof terraces, with no on‑site parking for residents.

Contemporary design in a heritage setting

The Design and Access Statement says the new homes would be built above the existing retail structure, stepping back at higher levels to reduce the visual impact and create outdoor terrace space. Materials such as slate, off‑white render and grey standing‑seam metal cladding are proposed to complement the neighbouring Capitol cinema and nearby conservation area, while giving the building a distinct, modern identity.

The plans also aim to improve natural surveillance and footfall in this part of the town centre, with balconies and windows overlooking surrounding streets and the service yard.

Public consultation open until 3 October

Under Welsh planning rules, major developments must go through a 28‑day public consultation before a formal application is submitted. Residents, businesses and other stakeholders can view the full plans and supporting documents on Asbri Planning’s consultation page and submit feedback by email or post before 3 October 2025.

Part of wider regeneration push

The Cambrian Way site has long been identified as a priority for regeneration. If approved, the redevelopment would join a growing number of mixed‑use projects in Welsh town centres aimed at tackling vacant retail space, meeting housing demand and boosting footfall for local traders.

Once the consultation closes, Asbri Planning will review all responses before finalising the application for submission to Carmarthenshire County Council.

#apartments #AsbriPlanning #CambrianWayShoppingCentre #Carmarthen #CarmarthenTownCentre #JohnStreet #newHomes

Plans for expanded care home in Skewen spark public consultation

A proposal to redevelop and extend Cefn Lodge Nursing Home in Skewen has entered the public consultation phase, with plans for a new 50-bed care home now open for comment.

The scheme, brought forward by Oxford Care Holdings, would see the existing building at 16 Cefn Parc extended to include a purpose-built, three-storey facility designed to meet modern standards of residential and dementia care. The extended home would offer en-suite bedrooms, communal lounges, landscaped gardens and improved access for staff and visitors.

The current Cefn Lodge has operated from the site since the 1980s and accommodates up to 35 residents. According to the developer’s Design and Access Statement, the new building would increase capacity and provide a more energy-efficient, accessible environment tailored to the needs of older people and those with complex conditions.

The proposal is now subject to a statutory pre-application consultation, a legal requirement for major developments in Wales. This process allows members of the public to review draft plans and submit feedback before a formal planning application is submitted to Neath Port Talbot Council.

Planning consultants Asbri Planning are managing the consultation, which runs until 25 August 2025. Residents can view the plans and submit comments via the consultation portal.

Once the consultation closes, the developer will consider public feedback before submitting a formal planning application to the council. A decision will then be made by local planners, taking into account the views expressed during the consultation period.

If approved, the new Cefn Lodge would represent a significant investment in local care provision — expanding capacity and replacing ageing infrastructure with a modern, purpose-built facility.

#AsbriPlanning #careHome #CefnLodge #construction #NeathPortTalbotCouncil #nursingHome #Skewen