SWANSEA: Stay safe in the water this summer — council backs drowning prevention campaign

People across Swansea are being urged to take care around water this summer as the council backs a national campaign to prevent avoidable tragedies.

With Drowning Prevention Week starting next week, Swansea Council is supporting the Royal Life Saving Society UK and the RNLI in raising awareness of simple steps that can save lives.

The council’s water safety team has been working with young people across the city ahead of the summer months.

At the annual Crucial Crew event, Year 6 pupils took part in dedicated water safety sessions to help them stay safe around beaches, rivers and open water — focusing on recognising risks, making safer choices, and knowing what to do if they or someone else gets into difficulty.

A drowning prevention workshop has also been shared with comprehensive schools for pupils in Years 9 and 10, reinforcing the messages with older students before the holidays.

Tracey McNulty, the council’s head of culture, parks and leisure, said: “With so many great beaches to choose from, spending time around water is a big part of summer in Swansea, but it’s vital that people understand the risks and know how to stay safe.

“Our teams are doing important work with young people to build that awareness early, but it’s just as important that everyone takes responsibility for their own safety.

“We’re asking residents and visitors to follow the Water Safety Code and remember the Float to Live advice if they get into difficulty. It could save your life or someone else’s.”

The council has installed water safety aids at key locations across the city — including on the River Tawe — providing lifesaving equipment where people may need it most.

Swansea’s Blue Flag beaches also benefit from RNLI lifeguard cover through the summer season.

The advice if you get into trouble in the water is simple: float on your back, keep calm and call for help.

More information about Drowning Prevention Week is available on the RLSS UK website.

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RIVER TAWE: First Minister orders investigation after sewage and sickness concerns raised in Senedd

The First Minister has asked Natural Resources Wales to investigate the River Tawe after concerns were raised in the Senedd about pollution and reports of people falling ill.

Rhun ap Iorwerth told the chamber he was aware of recent reports of sickness among people who had been swimming in the river.

“I am aware of and concerned about recent reported incidents of sickness when individuals have been swimming in the River Tawe,” he said.

“I have asked Natural Resources Wales to investigate the reports, and I will provide an update when further information becomes available.”

The issue was raised during First Minister’s Questions on Tuesday by Rebeca Phillips, the Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Brycheiniog Tawe Nedd.

She told the chamber that residents in the Swansea valley had reported a number of people, many of them children, falling ill after entering the water.

She asked the First Minister to provide assurance that the Government would “work closely with Natural Resources Wales and Dŵr Cymru to thoroughly investigate these incidents, and take the necessary action to safeguard public health and improve water quality.”

The First Minister said he would work with all the necessary bodies to ensure a joined-up approach to any investigation.

Mike Hedges, the Labour Member of the Senedd for Gŵyr Abertawe, who has worked with two local angling clubs on pollution in the river, pointed to the Trebanos waste water treatment works.

He told the chamber that the Trebanos pumping station was not separating rainwater and sewage, leaving limited options when it became full.

“When it gets full, the two choices are to let it back up and flood the houses with sewage or release it into the river,” he said.

He said Natural Resources Wales had confirmed that work to prevent the regular discharge of untreated sewage from the works was “not likely to be completed until 2030.”

“I do not believe that is acceptable,” he added.

Hedges also linked reports of children being taken ill after swimming in the river to the wider pollution problem, and raised concerns about run-off entering the water.

The Trebanos works, which serves Pontardawe, Rhyd-y-fro and Ystalyfera, was named by Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water in 2020 as the worst of its 50 problem sites in Wales.

Local angling clubs, working with the campaign group Fish Legal, have logged repeated sewage spills into the river over a number of years.

The concerns in the Senedd came as a Clydach community councillor, Matthew Bailey, issued a public warning urging parents to keep children out of the river after several were reported to have become unwell.

His notice, shared by the Pontardawe and Swansea Angling Society, said Natural Resources Wales, the local authority and the Welsh Government had been notified.

It has not been independently confirmed what caused the reported illnesses.

The River Tawe has a long-documented history of sewage pollution, much of it linked to the Trebanos works upstream.

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SWANSEA: Barges needed to build new £8m riverside cycle and walking path linking city centre to Swansea.com Stadium

A new walking and cycling route along the River Tawe has been given the green light by Swansea Council — with the project set to become one of the most ambitious pieces of active travel infrastructure the city has seen.

The path will run for a mile along the west bank of the Tawe, from a point north of the Tawe bridges through to the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks area — linking the city centre with the copperworks, Swansea.com Stadium and Morfa Retail Park for cyclists and pedestrians. It will be built in three phases and is expected to take three years to complete.

The total cost of the scheme, including design and project management, is £8.25 million. That will be funded through a combination of £6.6 million from the Welsh Government’s regional transport fund, £1.4 million from the UK Government, and a £250,000 developer contribution linked to a separate planning permission.

The council has confirmed the project will be a complex engineering undertaking. A new revetment — a reinforced structure to support the walkway along the riverbank — will need to be constructed, and sections of the work will have to be carried out from barges because of access restrictions along parts of the river corridor.

Once complete, the new path will connect with an existing stretch of shared-use path near the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks — an area undergoing a major heritage restoration that has attracted significant investment in recent years, including the arrival of Penderyn Distillery at the site. The new route will add to the 85 miles of shared-use paths already available across Swansea.

For cyclists and pedestrians, the route will offer a traffic-free connection between the city centre and a cluster of major destinations to the north — including Swansea.com Stadium, home of Swansea City AFC, and the growing Morfa Retail Park. The Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, one of Wales’ most significant industrial heritage sites, sits at the northern end of the route.

The three-phase approach to construction reflects both the engineering complexity of the project and the need to keep disruption manageable along a stretch of riverside that already attracts walkers and recreational users.

The Tawe path forms the headline project in a wider programme of cycling and walking investment confirmed for Swansea in 2026/27. Also included in the settlement is a £700,000 shared-use path linking Ffordd Beck in Gowerton to Pont Y Cob Road — a route that would finally deliver a safe connection between the two communities that has been in planning since 2022. At the moment there is no footpath between the two locations and the only provision for cyclists is a painted advisory route on a narrow main road.

A £500,000 upgrade of the existing shared-use path between Dunvant and Gowerton is also confirmed, widening the route to improve safety and capacity. Gowerton has been the focus of active travel investment in recent years — a new cycling and walking link to Gowerton station opened after significant delays, and the latest round of funding continues to build on that network.

Taken together, the three cycling and walking schemes represent a significant step forward for active travel connectivity across the western side of Swansea — connecting the city centre to the river corridor, and linking Gowerton more effectively to both Dunvant and Loughor.

Stuart Davies, Head of Service for Transport and Highways at Swansea Council, said the funding would enable the council to deliver “a wide range of transport related projects that will benefit motorists, public transport users as well as pedestrians and cyclists.”

The broader transport package for 2026/27 also includes a £750,000 e-bike hire scheme with up to 500 bikes to be made available for short trips across Swansea, further strengthening the active travel offer alongside the new infrastructure. Locations for the e-bike hire points have yet to be confirmed.

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SWANSEA: ‘Big kit, tight planning, solid team’ — the contractors behind the Bascule Bridge’s successful move

The team that helped manoeuvre Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge into its new temporary position has shared a behind-the-scenes look at the operation — giving residents a glimpse of what it takes to move a 70-tonne piece of Victorian history through a city.

Crynant Plant & Construction Ltd posted images of the operation on social media after working alongside Ian Davies Plant & Construction to shift the 120-year-old steel span from the Landore Park and Ride to a verge on Brunel Way — the latest step in the bridge’s painstaking restoration journey.

“Yesterday we were on a mission, helping out on one of their projects,” the company wrote. “The job involved moving a 70-ton section of a bascule bridge into position — definitely not your everyday lift. Big kit, tight planning, and a solid team effort all around.”

The move, which took place overnight, went smoothly — a relief given the complexity of the operation and the sensitivity of the structure involved. The bridge is a Grade II listed building and a Scheduled Ancient Monument, almost 120 years old, originally built in 1909 to carry a rail link across the River Tawe.

The steel span had been in storage at Landore Park and Ride while specialist restoration work was carried out on its damaged timber supports. It is now sitting on a verge at Brunel Way, ready to be lifted back into its permanent position once that timber restoration is complete — work which is expected to be finished early next year.

Once reinstated, the bridge will form part of a shared-use path crossing the River Tawe alongside Brunel Way, giving pedestrians and cyclists a historic link across the water for the first time in years.

The restoration is part of the wider regeneration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site — one of Swansea’s most significant industrial heritage projects, bringing back to life the remains of what was once the largest copper works in the world.

The images shared by Crynant Plant show the scale of the operation — heavy machinery, careful positioning and a team working in close coordination to move a structure that has stood for more than a century without incident.

“Great to be part of it and see everything come together safely and smoothly,” the company added.

The bridge’s journey back to its home over the Tawe is now well advanced. Once the timber supports are repaired and the final lift is complete, one of Swansea’s most unusual historic structures will be open for people to use once more.

All images courtesy of Crynant Plant & Construction Ltd / Facebook.

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Historic 70-tonne Bascule Bridge makes its move as restoration takes a major step forward

Drivers near the Swansea.com Stadium should expect disruption tonight as one of the city’s most unusual road users makes its journey through the streets — a 70-tonne Victorian bridge on the move.

Swansea’s historic Bascule Bridge will be transported from its temporary home at the Landore Park and Ride site to a verge on Brunel Way tonight, where it will wait to be lifted back into its permanent position over the River Tawe.

The move will begin at 9pm and is expected to be completed by 6am tomorrow morning. A rolling road closure will be in place on a short section of the A4217 near the stadium before moving on to Brunel Way, with local diversions set up along the route.

The almost 120-year-old steel span — a Grade II listed structure and Scheduled Ancient Monument — has been in storage while specialist restoration work is carried out on its damaged timber supports. That work is expected to be complete early next year, after which the bridge will be lifted back into place.

Once restored and reinstated, the Bascule Bridge will form part of a shared-use path alongside Brunel Way, crossing the River Tawe and giving pedestrians and cyclists a historic link across the water.

The bridge’s return is part of the wider restoration of the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site — one of Swansea’s most significant industrial heritage projects, which is bringing back to life the remains of what was once the largest copper works in the world.

As Swansea Bay News has previously reported, the restoration of the Bascule Bridge has been a careful, painstaking process given its protected status. The structure cannot simply be repaired — every intervention must be sympathetic to its heritage value and approved in line with its listed building and scheduled monument designations.

Tonight’s move brings the bridge one significant step closer to the moment Swansea residents will be able to walk and cycle across it again for the first time in years.

Drivers in the area tonight are advised to allow extra time and follow the signed diversions.

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New smart sensors rolled out to protect Swansea’s water users

According to the council, more than 40 Public Rescue Aid (PRA) units are now fitted with the technology at key waterside locations including the River Tawe and Swansea Marina, with further installations planned ahead of summer at Singleton Lake, Mumbles Promenade, Bracelet Bay, Caswell and Langland.

Cabinet Member for Environment and Infrastructure, Councillor Andrew Stevens, said the sensors were proving “a simple but powerful way” to protect the public. He said missing or moved rescue equipment “puts the public at real risk”, and that the new system allows the council to respond faster and replace equipment sooner.

The council states that when a rescue aid is opened or disturbed, the system automatically alerts its Water Safety Team, who can then visit the site within 24 hours. This sits alongside the team’s routine two‑weekly physical inspections carried out throughout the year.

Water Safety Co‑ordinator Andrew Suter said the technology had already supported a real emergency response. He said he received a call from police about a rescue on the River Tawe involving a life ring, but the system had already notified him that the equipment had been opened, allowing the council to replace it the next day.

Swansea Council says the example highlights the partnership between its Water Safety Team and emergency services, and confirmed it will continue expanding the sensor network as part of its commitment to improving water safety and ensuring rescue equipment remains available and in good condition.

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Body recovered from River Tawe after major emergency response

South Wales Police said officers were called to Quay Parade at around 7.50am after reports that a person had entered the water. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, the RNLI, Coastguard teams and the Welsh Ambulance Service were all deployed.

Shortly before 1.30pm, divers located and recovered the man’s body. Formal identification has yet to take place.

Multi‑agency search

The incident sparked a major response, with fire crews from Swansea Central, Carmarthen, Swansea West and Morriston stations working alongside police, Coastguard and RNLI teams to search the river and riverbanks.

The Mumbles RNLI confirmed that both its Inshore Lifeboat (ILB) and All‑Weather Lifeboat (ALB) launched at 8am to assist. The ALB provided safety and search cover at the river mouth, while the ILB supported fire service crews in searching the river itself.

A Welsh Ambulance Service spokesperson said:

“We were called today at approximately 7.40am to reports of an incident in the River Tawe, Swansea. We sent one emergency ambulance, one Cymru High Acuity Response Unit, one operations manager and a hazardous area response team to the scene.”

Police statement

In a social media update, South Wales Police confirmed:

“Officers were called to the River Tawe at Quay Parade, Swansea at around 7.50am today following a report of a person having entered the water. Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service, The RNLI and the Coast Guard also attended. Shortly before 1.30pm, divers located a man’s body, which has now been recovered. Formal identification has yet to take place.”

Ongoing investigation

Police say enquiries are continuing and further details will be released once formal identification has been completed.

#allWeatherLifeboat #featured #midAndWestWalesFireAndRescueService #mumblesInshoreLifeboat #mumblesRnli #policeDivers #riverTawe #southWalesPolice #swansea #waterRescue

Plans unveiled for 150‑home riverside neighbourhood in St Thomas

Swansea Council’s Cabinet will be asked on 18 September to approve a Stage 1 Project Plan for the seven‑acre St Thomas Waterfront site, unlocking the next phase of design work and public consultation.

The scheme, part of the council’s 20‑year Shaping Swansea regeneration partnership with developer Urban Splash, would see the former industrial land north of the river bridges redeveloped into a mix of apartments and townhouses, with half of all homes classed as affordable — a higher proportion than the 20% normally required in this part of the city.

At the southern end of the site, a six‑storey landmark building is proposed, with commercial space on the ground floor for shops, cafés or leisure uses. A central green street would run through the development, opening onto shared garden spaces, while new and improved riverside walkways, safer road crossings and cycle‑friendly routes would connect St Thomas to the city centre and SA1. The plans also include a landscaped buffer along Pentreguinea Road to help screen traffic and reduce noise.

Council leader Cllr Rob Stewart said the project would breathe new life into a site that has stood empty for decades. “Large parts of the river corridor have been left behind for too long,” he said. “This project is about changing that – bringing new homes, affordable housing, green public spaces and other facilities to the riverside. The scheme will help address local housing demand while reconnecting people with the Tawe and creating a thriving neighbourhood that builds on Swansea’s rich history.”

Urban Splash, working in joint venture with Lovell, is leading the design alongside Stirling Prize‑winning architects Allford Hall Monaghan Morris, landscape architects Grant Associates and engineers Arup. Housing association Pobl Group is proposed as the partner to deliver the majority of the affordable homes.

David Warburton, of Urban Splash, said the vision was to create a sustainable neighbourhood that feels part of the existing community, with high‑quality homes, green spaces and new routes for walking, cycling and enjoying the river. “The next stage will involve detailed design work and conversations with local people so together we can shape a development Swansea can be proud of,” he said.

If Cabinet approves the Stage 1 plan, Urban Splash will have six months to produce a Stage 2 Project Plan with detailed designs, costings and a public engagement programme before a planning application is submitted. The St Thomas site is one of seven strategic locations earmarked for regeneration under the Shaping Swansea partnership, which also includes projects at the Civic Centre, Guildhall and other key city‑centre plots.

#AllfordHallMonaghanMorris #Arup #construction #featured #GrantAssociates #Lovell #newHomes #PlanningPermission #Pobl #RiverTawe #StThomas #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil #TaweBridges #UrbanSplash

New trail launched on Tawe Trails history app

The latest addition — an audio‑only Tawe navigation trail — has been created for passengers on the popular Copper Jack River Cruise, offering a guided journey up and down the River Tawe packed with stories from the city’s industrial past.

It joins six other trails already available, covering Hafod Morfa Copperworks, White Rock, Parc Llewelyn, Swansea Canal at Clydach, Morriston Park and the wider Lower Swansea Valley.

The app, developed by Swansea Council’s regeneration team and funded by the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, features interactive maps, waypoint pins, high‑quality images, satellite and street views, selfie postcard frames, accessibility settings and offline functionality. Content is available in English and Welsh, including audio narration.

Council cabinet member Robert Francis‑Davies said it was encouraging to see more than 700 downloads so far, with that figure expected to rise over the school holidays.

“The Lower Swansea Valley was at the heart of the copper industry that helped spread Swansea’s name across the world,” he said. “Thanks to the app, people will learn that Swansea’s story is Britain’s story — and we’re sharing it in the most modern way.”

The newest trail also includes accessibility and safety advice, along with background on historic sites such as Lougher Castle, Oxwich Castle, Weobley Castle and Pennard Castle.

The Tawe Trails app is free to download from the iTunes Store and Google Play.

#app #CllrRobertFrancisDavies #Clydach #CopperJack #HafodMorfaCopperworks #history #MorristonPark #ParcLlewelyn #RiverTawe #SwanseaCanal #SwanseaCouncil #SwanseaValley #TaweTrails #WhiteRock

Swansea waterways revival takes step forward with new feasibility study

The New Destinations report, published by the Swansea Community Boat Trust, outlines plans for a 35-mile blue/green corridor stretching from Clydach to Port Tennant, linking the River Tawe with the Swansea Canal, Tennant Canal, and Neath Canal.

The study was supported by the university’s Centre for Heritage Research and Training (CHART) and funded by MEDR – the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research. It explores how regenerating lost canals and navigable stretches of the Tawe could unlock benefits ranging from tourism and active travel to climate resilience and flood mitigation.

Dr Alex Langlands, Associate Professor and CHART co-director, said:

“This report proposes a bold and ambitious plan mapped against the need for climate adaptation, green-space provision and economic regeneration. More than anything, it represents a forward-looking ambition that has at its heart the wellbeing of future generations.”

The Trust’s vision includes new waterways connecting the Prince of Wales Dock to the Tennant Canal, shaded canal paths lined with trees, and opportunities for walking, cycling, kayaking and paddleboarding. The project could be delivered in phases as funding becomes available.

John Davies, a long-standing waterways volunteer and driving force behind the initiative, said:

“If it receives the backing of Swansea Council, New Destinations will create a massive new visitor destination based firmly on our city’s proud industrial heritage.”

The report also highlights the potential to enhance the Wales Coastal Path and improve access to Swansea Waterfront, while reconnecting communities across the valley.

#CentreForHeritageResearchAndTraining #DrAlexLanglands #PortTennant #PrinceOfWalesDock #RiverTawe #Swansea #SwanseaCommunityBoatTrust #SwanseaUniversity #TennantCanal