Skate park review to take place

A REVIEW of land in Mumbles, to ensure a seafront skate park with planning permission is the right option, will take place.

Swansea Council chiefs want to be sure the Llwynderw skate park site, which the planning committee approved by just one vote in February, is the most appropriate before they consider a land transfer.

They have asked Mumbles Community Council, which put forward the Llwynderw application, to commission an independent review and “comprehensive appraisal” of potential alternative sites.

The Llwynderw proposal had significant public backing but safety concerns were also voiced due to its proximity to Mumbles Road, although it has been home to a mini half-pipe skateboard run for years.

Swansea Council planning officers recommended the scheme for approval ahead of the committee meeting in February, but it was always the intention to undertake due diligence to ensure Llwynderw was the right place.

The community council reckons the state-of-the-art skate park will cost around £335,000, with £200,000 to £250,000 sought via grants and the remainder to come from its budget.

In a joint statement, the two councils said they wanted to find the best solution for a new skate park in the Mumbles area.

It said: “This may be at Llwynderw where the community council has conditional planning permission for such a development and, as part of the approval, the community council has been asked to re-examine all possible options to ensure that the most appropriate location is selected.

“The transfer of any Swansea Council land for this purpose must represent the best value for council taxpayers across the city. The scheme must also be practical and sustainable in the long term.”

Swansea chiefs want to know more about funding for the development, a business plan, a detailed assessment of the Llwynderw site, and how planning conditions will be met.

The statement added: “The community council has been asked to demonstrate how the scheme meets Wales’ Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, how it has limited negative impact on others who use the area selected, and for an independent and comprehensive appraisal of potential alternative sites.”

Dialogue between the two parties, it said, remained positive and productive.

The design of the Llwynderw skate park makes it suitable for scooters and BMXs as well as skateboards.

Addressing the planning committee before it debated the proposal, West Cross councillor Mark Child said nobody really knew if Llwynderw was the best site, before adding: “It is good enough – and we should not let the best be the enemy of of the good.”

Responding to the new review, Will Watson, chairman of Swansea Bay Foreshore Group, which has concerns about the Llwynderw site, said: “I welcome the news that the community council has been asked to re-examine all options for the siting of the skate park.

“We think the skate park is a fantastic idea for Swansea, but we still strongly believe the Llwynderw location is totally the wrong place for it.”