**Swansea Council Announces Move to New Central Depot for Lorry and Van Fleet**
Swansea Council has unveiled significant changes to its operational logistics, with plans to relocate its entire fleet of lorries and vans to a state-of-the-art central depot within the city’s enterprise park. This shift, which has been in the pipeline for some time according to officials, marks a major development in the local authority’s approach to managing essential services and resources.
The council has reportedly secured a site on Alberto Road in Swansea Enterprise Park for the new depot, subject to the completion of final legal stages. The facility is currently occupied in part by Dr Organic, a skincare and body care products company, and will require a programme of adaptation to meet the council’s specific needs. Planning permission will also be needed before conversion work can commence in earnest.
“The move to Alberto Road is designed to bring our fleet operations under one roof, increasing efficiency and helping us deliver better services to the community,” a spokesperson for Swansea Council commented. However, the existing depots at Pipehouse Wharf on New Cut Road and at Home Farm in Sketty will only be vacated once all necessary modifications at the new site are complete. The council is keen to ensure that the transition does not disrupt vital municipal services, and has emphasised that consultations with staff based at the affected sites are ongoing, in an effort to minimise any adverse impacts.
At this stage, the future uses of the now two existing depots remain undecided. Council chiefs have stated that no firm decisions have been made regarding these premises, which means the sites at Pipehouse Wharf and Home Farm could be repurposed in the coming months or years, pending further review and planning.
Details of the move were set out in a written response provided by Councillor Andrea Lewis, the Labour cabinet member with responsibility for corporate services and performance, following questions from Liberal Democrat councillors Chris Holley, Graham Thomas, and Sam Bennett. In her letter, Cllr Lewis confirmed that contracts for the new site have been exchanged, with the transaction due to complete by the end of November this year. “Phased occupation will be planned, leading to full occupation after the adaptation works,” she noted.
This announcement comes amid broader discussions at Swansea Council about the future of local service delivery, asset management, and community investment. The council is currently also fielding inquiries on matters ranging from housing pressures — with some 7,535 people reportedly on the waiting list, including over 1,500 council tenants seeking transfers — to the modernisation of workspaces for staff. A notable example is the anticipated relocation of most of the revenues and benefits team from the Civic Centre to a new public sector hub near St Mary’s Church, while others will move to the Y Storfa facility at the former BHS site on Oxford Street.
Environmental concerns remain on the council’s agenda, too, with recent figures revealing that 12,400 tonnes of litter, fly-tipping debris, street sweepings and general waste were dealt with in the 2024-25 financial year, at a cost of £7 million to the authority. The council has reiterated its stance that public cooperation is vital, reminding residents of the importance of proper waste disposal and hinting at the ongoing strain caused by irresponsible individuals.
As the depot move progresses, Swansea Council’s leadership promises to maintain close dialogue with affected employees and local residents, aiming for a seamless transition that will ultimately benefit the community by improving service delivery and operational flexibility. The coming months will see further details emerge regarding the adaptation works, staff relocations, and, perhaps most intriguing of all, what might become of the two former depot sites in due course.
Local stakeholders and interested members of the public can expect further updates after the next full council meeting, with future newsletters and council reports set to outline more about the authority’s plans for both the new and old depot locations. This transition period highlights Swansea’s ongoing commitment to modernising municipal operations, even as it juggles the challenges of serving a growing and diverse population.