By Richard Youle

Copyright walesonline

Proposals to transform a large patch of riverside land into a housing complex with communal and commercial space have taken a step forward in Swansea . There would be 120 flats in three and six-storey blocks and 38 houses at the former St Thomas railway station site, just north of the Tawe bridges. Half of the 158 properties would be classed as affordable. The scheme could also include steps leading down to the River Tawe, a pontoon, improved pedestrian links and a future pedestrian and cycle bridge west across the river. Swansea Council’s cabinet has approved an early stage of the project, which is being taken forward by a regeneration company called Urban Splash and housebuilder Lovell. The council appointed Urban Splash four years ago as a partner to redevelop seven large sites in or near the city centre, the St Thomas site being one of them. A report before cabinet said former tramlines and “wagon ways” were replaced in the past by a railway which terminated at the St Thomas site. The railway transported coal, it said, and served passengers until 1950. The seven-acre plot of land has a shared-use path running through it, and some of it has been used as a building compound. Cabinet approved what was described in the report as stage one of the project plan. Urban Splash will refine its proposals as part of the next stage, and undertake a pre-planning application consultation. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here Council leader Rob Stewart listed other schemes under way or planned along the River Tawe and said the St Thomas project could become a “fantastic” waterfront redevelopment which better connected the eastside community to the city. Cllr Andrea Williams, who has the housing brief, said she particularly welcomed the 50% affordable housing aspect of the plan. “I’m really pleased to see that,” she said. The cabinet report said a Welsh Government housing grant would be sought for the affordable homes and that external funding would also be pursued to pay for an upgrade of the shared-use path, wider landscaping of the site, a parking area set within trees, and better Pentreguinea Road pedestrian crossings. Urban Splash is to explore with the council the potential for stepped access down to the river, a pontoon, a boardwalk to the nearby SA1 neighbourhood, and the future introduction of a pedestrian bridge across the river. A project timeline contained the cabinet report said a full planning application could be submitted next April, with work starting on site potentially in June the following year. The St Thomas site has a lot of greenery although it’s pretty overgrown. The views west across the river are an asset but it is bounded on two sides by busy roads. A member of staff at The Ship Inn, St Thomas, said she hadn’t heard of the development proposals until now. “The houses would get a nice view of the river, but on the other side it’s the road,” she said.