THE PALACE Theatre and Hafod-Morfa Copperworks were on the itinerary when Welsh Government Economy Minister Vaughan Gething visited Swansea to see first-hand the scale of regeneration on-going in the city.

During his visit to Swansea on Tuesday March 15, Mr Gething also visited the 71/72 Kingsway construction site and the Swansea Arena development.

All four projects are part of a £1bn regeneration programme that’s now unfolding in Swansea.

Plans are in place to transform Palace Theatre 134-year-old grade two listed building on the city’s High Street into a home for tech, start-up and creative businesses. Swansea Council has appointed Tramshed Tech as the lead tenant to run the building, with South-Wales based contractor R & M Williams continuing to carry out vital restoration work there. Supported by funding from the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, work began on site at the Palace Theatre in autumn 2021 and the building could reopen next year.

Work is also continuing on the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site that’s due to become a new visitor attraction for Penderyn Whisky. The Swansea Council scheme, supported by locally-based John Weaver Contractors, will bring new life to the historic site’s powerhouse and outbuildings, with an on-site distillery adding to Penderyn’s existing facilities.

Swansea Arena – part of the £135m Copr Bay district developed by Swansea Council – has now started hosting a programme of stars, with rock band Royal Blood next up there on Saturday March 19.

Main construction work has also now started on a new office development at 71/72 Kingsway that will provide space for 600 jobs in the tech and digital sectors.

Both the arena and 71/72 Kingsway developments are part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal – an investment in nine projects across the Swansea Bay City Region that’s funded by the Welsh Government, the UK Government, the public sector and the private sector.

Wales’ Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said:

“It was great to be in Swansea to see the impressive regeneration projects currently underway across the city. I’m delighted the Welsh Government is supporting the Council to deliver transformational projects that will benefit the people who live, visit and work here.

“Swansea has an exciting future ahead of it, and the Welsh Government is committed to supporting Swansea to become the vibrant and economically successful city we all want it to be.

“We’re working closely with the Council and other partners in the region to build a Wales with a prosperous, fair, green economy, where nobody is held back or left behind.”

Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, added:

“It’s only when you visit Swansea that you get a true sense of the scale of regeneration that’s on-going here to create a better city for our residents, businesses and visitors. So much progress has been made throughout the pandemic, so it was a pleasure to welcome the Economy Minster here and show him some of the fantastic work that’s being carried out.

“Also acting as a catalyst for even more investment and jobs in future, the combination of these projects means Swansea’s economy is well-placed to quickly bounce back from the economic impact of Covid.”

During his visit to the Hafod-Morfa Copperworks site, Mr Gething also learned more about plans for an outdoor adventure park overlooking the city from Kilvey Hill. A New Zealand-based company called Skyline Enterprises is behind proposals to build an attraction there including zip lines, a sky swing, luge runs and a cableway system.