EditorCITY CENTRE LIVING: Ten new flats planned for top of Princess Way building overlooking Castle Square
Plans have been submitted to create ten new flats on the top floor of a well-known Princess Way commercial building, in the latest sign that Swansea’s city centre is slowly being transformed into somewhere people can live as well as shop.
The application, submitted to Swansea Council by St Mary’s Square Developments, proposes ten one- and two-bedroom apartments on the recessed upper floor of the Castle Quays building — the prominent seven-unit commercial block that stretches along Princess Way with aspects over both Castle Square and the council’s new Y Storfa hub in the former BHS store.
The Castle Quays development on the site of the former David Evans Department store(Image: St Mary’s Square Developments)
Each of the proposed flats would have access to outdoor patio space. According to the design and access statement submitted with the application, no changes are proposed to the height, footprint or principal exterior elevations of the building. Cycle storage and bin storage would be provided at ground floor level, and supporting reports on noise, bats and green infrastructure have also been submitted as part of the planning package.
St Mary’s Square Developments, a Swansea-based company specialising in mixed-use and build-to-rent schemes, acquired the Castle Quays building in 2025. Work is already under way on the ground floor, where contractors are preparing the former Zara unit for a new occupier.
The former Zara store at Castle Quays on Princess Way is being prepared for a new tenant(Image: St Mary’s Square Developments)
The Castle Quays application adds to a cluster of residential conversion schemes taking shape in the same part of the city centre.
The Welsh Government has committed millions of pounds in funding towards 29 one- and two-bedroom flats planned for the upper floors of the nearby building currently occupied at ground level by McDonald’s and Taco Bell — a scheme that has already secured planning permission.
Across the road, the old Castle Cinema building is already being converted into 30 flats alongside new commercial units.
Elsewhere in the immediate vicinity, flats have been created in upper floors on Oxford Street, and a major ‘biophilic living building‘ mixed-use development of up to 12 storeys is rising on the former Woolworths site on The Kingsway.
The Princess Way building sits at the heart of some of the most significant change currently under way in the city centre.
On one side it looks over Castle Square, which is in the middle of a multimillion-pound revamp designed to create a greener and more welcoming public space.
The leaf boat sculpture that was a fixture of the square for years was removed as that redevelopment moved ahead, with an artist commissioned to help mark the start of the transformation.
On its other aspect, Castle Quays faces the new Y Storfa building in the former BHS unit — a council-run hub housing a range of public services including the city’s central library.
The drive to bring residents back into Swansea city centre has been a consistent theme for local leaders for decades. The post-war bombing of Swansea and the subsequent rebuilding of the city on largely commercial lines left the centre without a significant residential population — something planners and business groups have long argued needs to change.
The potential loss of further anchor retailers has added urgency to that argument. Marks & Spencer’s Oxford Street store is due to close later this year, following the earlier departure of Debenhams — both significant blows for a high street that is already navigating a fundamental shift away from traditional retail.
Against that backdrop, the case for converting underused upper floors into homes has become harder to argue against.
Andrew Douglas, manager of business group Swansea BID, said a growing residential population was central to the city centre’s long-term health.
“The more people living in the city centre the more they will engage with and enjoy Swansea’s retail, hospitality, and leisure sectors,” he said. He added that residential growth also bolsters investor confidence, describing it as a signal that the city centre is a credible place to live, work and spend time.
As we’ve reported, the question of what shops and brands Swansea needs to attract — and what the future of its retail offer looks like — remains one of the biggest conversations in the city. Increasing the number of people living within walking distance of the shops, bars and restaurants is seen as a key part of making that offer sustainable.
The Castle Quays application is currently with Swansea Council for determination.
Related stories from Swansea Bay News
Scaffolding removal to start at Princess Way
The Castle Quays building on Princess Way has been undergoing work since St Mary’s Square Developments took it on in 2025.
FLATS FUNDING BOOST: Welsh Government to pour millions into city centre flats plan at McDonald’s site and Kingsway block
The neighbouring Princess Way conversion scheme has already secured Welsh Government backing — part of the same city centre living push.
New images reveal greener, more vibrant future for Swansea’s Castle Square
The square overlooked by the Castle Quays building is undergoing its own major transformation.
Leaf Boat sculpture removed from Castle Square as major redevelopment moves ahead
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Artist helps celebrate green future of Castle Square as major revamp gets underway
The story of the transformation of the square beside the Castle Quays building.
The future of retail in Swansea: The shops you want, the brands we asked, and what comes next
The bigger picture on Swansea’s changing city centre — and why more residents could be the answer.
