Major makeover for more than 100 council flats in Swansea’s Croft Street

Tenants living in two high‑rise blocks and two low‑rise buildings in Dyfatty will see their homes upgraded inside and out. Swansea Council say the work will include new kitchens, bathrooms, fire‑safety improvements and insulation designed to help cut energy bills.

The scheme forms part of the council’s £55m housing investment programme for the current financial year. Swansea Council say the project is funded entirely through tenant rents and Welsh Government grants, with no contribution from council tax.

£500m already spent on upgrades — and more to come

The authority says Croft Street is the latest phase in a long‑running effort to modernise its housing stock. Over the last decade, Swansea Council say they have invested more than £500m in tenants’ homes, with another £250m planned over the next five years.

Cllr Andrea Williams, Joint Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Service Transformation, said the council was confident residents would see a real difference once the work is complete.

Cllr Williams said:

We know there will be some disruption, but our contractors will do all they can to keep it to a minimum and keep tenants informed every step of the way.

New lifts, CCTV and safer communal areas

As well as improvements inside homes, the blocks will receive new lifts, windows, CCTV and upgraded entrances. Swansea Council say communal areas will be fitted with additional safety measures, and the surrounding environment will be improved with new lighting, landscaping, fencing and paths.

A row of garages has already been demolished to create more parking bays. Several small retail units facing High Street will also be refurbished as part of the wider scheme.

Ground‑floor space turned into new homes

One of the biggest changes will see the ground‑floor areas of the high‑rise blocks — previously used for offices and storage — converted into new homes. Swansea Council say this will increase the supply of affordable housing in the city centre and make better use of underused space.

The new accessible flats form part of the council’s ‘More Homes‘ plan, which aims to deliver 1,000 new council homes by 2031. So far, 309 have been added through new builds, buy‑backs and conversions, all built to the council’s ‘Swansea Standard‘ for insulation and energy efficiency.

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Swansea burglar jailed after targeting city business

42-year-old Raymond John targeted Skin and Glamour Beauty Salon in Llangyfelach Street on December 4.

As a shop worker was closing up at the end of the day, John burst into the salon and lay on the treatment bed, demanding water before making threats and searching for money, Swansea Crown Court heard.

The worker, a lone female, was forced to go to a nearby shop for safety.

John’s “erratic behaviour” came only a matter of days after he had been released from prison, where he was serving a sentence for shoplifting and exposing his penis in public.

John, of Griffith John Street, Dyfatty, was later identified by a police officer who recognised him from a previous investigation.

He has 57 previous convictions for 89 offences, including burglary, 20 thefts, and kindred matters. His last conviction was in October last year when he was sentenced to four months in prison for exposure and shoplifting a bottle of tequila from Sainsbury’s.

Judge Paul Thomas KC said the defendant had only been out of prison for a short time when he entered the business premises and began smashing it up and making threats.

He told John he was very fortunate that the prosecution had not proceeded with the more serious charge of attempted robbery.

The judge told John that he hoped he would make the necessary changes in his life; otherwise, “you will wake up one day and find you have spent most of your life in one institution or another.

With a one-third discount for his guilty plea, John was sentenced to eight months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

Detective Constable Charlotte Rees said:

“Raymond John’s aggressive behaviour will have made the shop worker feel that their safety was in danger, and that is completely unacceptable.

“Shop workers should be able to go about their daily business free from threats and intimidation.

“It is only right that Raymond John goes to prison.”

[Lead image: South Wales Police]

Swansea’s future mapped out: new transport hub, market revamp and cultural quarter in draft city centre plan

Swansea could be about to undergo its biggest city centre shake‑up in a decade — with a new transport hub, a revamped market, and even a cultural quarter all on the table.

The draft Swansea City Centre Placemaking Plan, presented to councillors this week, sets out how the city centre and waterfront could be transformed over the next 8–10 years. It replaces the 2016 regeneration framework and covers everything from the Civic Centre site to the top of High Street.

A city carved into five zones

The plan doesn’t treat the city centre as one lump of concrete and shops — instead, it breaks it down into five distinct “Action Areas,” each with its own character and proposals:

• The Core: The beating heart of Swansea, where retail, leisure and nightlife collide. Here the council wants to reinforce a thriving shopping district, breathe new life into the Oxford Street arcades, and make Swansea Market a destination in its own right.
• City Waterfront: Stretching from the Marina to the Civic Centre, this is about reconnecting Swansea to its seafront. Expect talk of new public squares, leisure attractions, and even an aquarium as part of the Civic Centre redevelopment.
• Tawe Waterfront: Across the river, the old St Thomas railway station site is earmarked for housing, commercial space and community facilities — a new neighbourhood rising from the tracks.
• City North: St Helen’s Road and its surroundings are seen as a gateway, with plans to improve connections and make the area more welcoming for residents and visitors.
• Upper High Street/Dyfatty: The northern gateway, where the High Street station plaza could be transformed into a proper arrival point, linking seamlessly to a proposed transport hub at The Strand.

The big ideas

At the centre of the plan is a new transport hub on The Strand, just a stone’s throw from the railway station and facing the River Tawe. Councillors were told this could become the city’s main interchange, making it easier to move between trains, buses, and active travel routes.

Other “indicative concept” schemes include:

• A facelift for Swansea Market, with better links to the Quadrant and surrounding streets.
• Revitalised shopping arcades off Oxford Street.
• Greener, safer public spaces with more trees, street furniture and public art.
• A potential Cultural Quarter, celebrating Swansea’s identity and drawing visitors in with events, galleries and creative spaces.

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Councillors weigh in

At the scrutiny meeting, Cllr Michael Locke pressed for updates on the Civic Centre site, while regeneration team leader Gail Evans confirmed initial designs were ready and a report could follow in the new year.

Cllr Will Thomas praised the new central hub Y Storfa, which opened recently on Oxford Street, and asked if more city centre buildings could be repurposed for education and sport to drive footfall. Panel convenor Cllr Chris Holley warned that commercial viability remains a challenge, with many schemes needing public sector “gap funding” to stack up. He called for a workshop for all elected members, describing the plan as covering “a huge area.”

Council leader Rob Stewart said Swansea was “a different city” compared to 2016 and that it was time to refresh the plan.

What happens next

The draft placemaking plan will go before Cabinet in February 2026, followed by public engagement in March. Adoption as council policy is expected later in 2026, setting the stage for a decade of regeneration.

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Three men arrested as armed police called to Dyfatty disturbance

A large police presence had been seen at the block of flats in Swansea, consisting several police cars, vans, and armed as well as unarmed police officers. 

South Wales Police have now confirmed that it was called to deal with the disturbance at around 12.30pm yesterday afternoon, which led to road closures and a heavy traffic build-up in and out of the city centre.

Armed officers could be seen going within the block of flats, as others waited outside, whilst a Welsh ambulance car could also be seen at the scene. 

The force has now confirmed that three men, each aged 35, 51, and 57, have been arrested on suspicion of assault, following the incident.

A statement by South Wales Police said:

“Three men, aged 35, 51 and 57, have been arrested on suspicion of assault following an incident at a block of flats in Matthew Street, Waun Wen, at around 12.30pm.

“A 29-year-old man has been taken to hospital.”

[Lead image: Darren Lovering Photography]

#Dyfatty #SouthWalesPolice

Police dispersal order to target Dyfatty antisocial behaviour

Police say that a Section 35 dispersal order has been put in place in the area of Griffith John Street in Swansea, following issues with anti-social behaviour and other offences in recent weeks.

They say an increased policing presence will be visible in the area over the coming days.

Inspector Andrew Hedley from South Wales Police said: “We have a zero-tolerance approach to anti-social behaviour anywhere in the force area, but over the last couple of weeks this has become a notable problem in this area in particular.

“This is causing undue distress on the many law-abiding residents living within the area. A good number of those committing the anti-social behaviour do not live in the area.

“Our officers will attend the area and will act swiftly to disrupt any form of anti-social behaviour that they see.”

CCTV systems were recently upgraded at the council-owned flats at Griffith John Street in a bid to tackle antisocial behaviour.

#antisocialBehaviour #Dyfatty #GriffithJohnStreet #SouthWalesPolice #Swansea