EditorMajor revamp planned for Sandfields and Aberavon as council unveils huge active travel upgrade
The £multi‑million scheme covers a 4.7km stretch linking the seafront with Afan Way, creating a continuous loop designed to make everyday journeys safer and easier without needing a car. Council officers say the project will tie directly into the wider Aberavon Seafront Masterplan, bringing long‑term improvements to some of the area’s busiest routes.
The plans include upgraded footways, new cycle lanes, safer crossings, resurfaced roads, better bus facilities and a series of public‑realm makeovers at key community hotspots. A consultation has now opened, with residents given until 11th March to give feedback.
The council says the work is vital in a community where official data shows fewer than half of households own a car, making safe walking and cycling routes essential for school runs, shopping trips and access to the beach.
Years in the making
The project has been in development since 2022, when a study identified ten Sandfields routes in need of upgrades. Early engagement followed in 2024, with residents helping shape the first designs for three priority corridors: Princess Margaret Way, Victoria Road and the Seaway Parade–Handel Avenue–Purcell Avenue loop.
By 2025, the scheme had expanded to include placemaking improvements around Memo Beach Café, the skate park, Tywyn Primary School and Purcell Avenue, with drop‑in sessions held last autumn to gather ideas. Detailed designs are now nearing completion, and the council is preparing a funding bid through the Regional Transport Fund to begin construction in 2026–27.
Map showing the proposed Sandfields and Aberavon active travel route, including planned public‑space upgrades around Memo Beach, the skate park and Tywyn Primary School.(Image: Neath Port Talbot Council)
What’s planned on the ground
If approved, the scheme will deliver new and widened footways, resurfaced pavements and missing links such as the broken section near the Naval Club. Dedicated cycle lanes are proposed for Princess Margaret Way, with on‑road routes added to nearby residential streets to create a safer network.
Eight new Toucan crossings and five new Parallel crossings are planned for some of the area’s busiest junctions, alongside more than 50 upgraded uncontrolled crossings with dropped kerbs and tactile paving. Bus users would see new shelters and a relocated stop opposite Remo’s to support revised routes along the seafront.
Public spaces are also set for a facelift, with new seating, planting, surfacing and landscaping around Memo Beach, the skate park and Tywyn Primary School. Additional greenery and pocket planting would be added throughout the area to soften the streetscape.
Parking changes include new loading bays near Francos and Memo Café, extra disabled bays and a small net increase in overall parking along the seafront. Measures to stop pavement parking — including bollards, planting and double yellow lines — are also proposed.
Princess Margaret Way would be fully resurfaced as part of the works.
“A good balance of improvements for everyone”
Cllr Wyndham Griffiths, Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning, Transport and Connectivity, said the plans strike the right balance for a community with low car ownership but high demand for safer routes.
“I strongly encourage anyone who lives in or visits these areas to have their say on the proposals which would offer improved safety and better‑connected routes, whilst also lifting the overall appearance,” he said.
How to take part
The consultation runs until 11th March 2026, with residents able to complete the survey at www.npt.gov.uk/activetravel.
Two face‑to‑face drop‑in events will be held at Aberavon Leisure Centre on Monday 2nd March (3pm–7pm) and Saturday 7th March (10am–1pm), where the project team will be available to answer questions.
Paper copies of the plans and survey are available at Sandfields, Port Talbot and Neath libraries.
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