Students at a significant accommodation block in Swansea city centre will now have the opportunity to park on-site following the lifting of a parking restriction by the council. The Oldway Centre development, located at the intersection of Orchard Street and High Street, had applied for permission to allow students residing there to park within the premises. The restriction had previously prohibited students from parking nearby on the public highway, leading them to leave their cars at a church in Dyfatty, resulting in instances of anti-social behaviour during their walks back. The owners of the accommodation block highlighted a change in case law, arguing that the original restriction of not allowing students to park within a one-mile radius on the public highway was no longer enforceable.
During a meeting on April 1, members of the council’s planning committee approved the request to lift the parking restriction at the Oldway Centre. The development boasts basement parking facilities for approximately 100 cars, with the owners proposing to allocate 40 spaces for the around 556 students residing there. This decision comes as a response to a decrease in demand for office parking, making it viable to assign parking spaces for student use and alleviate the pressure on the public highway. Councillor Peter Black stated that there had been a misconception that students in city centre accommodations did not own cars, which has now been proven untrue. The proposal to utilise basement parking was deemed a positive step by Councillor Mike Lewis, as it could potentially free up to 40 parking spaces on the public highway.
In addition to the parking issue, the planning committee also made modifications to a legal agreement with housing developer Westacres Ltd, responsible for constructing 101 properties on the former Olchfa School land in Sketty. The adjustments to the agreement include Westacres Ltd paying 50% of an education contribution before the 51st home is occupied, and the remaining 50% before the occupation of the 85th property. Despite the changes, the total education contribution amount remains at £844,028. Westacres Ltd cited challenges such as building affordable homes at a financial loss and encountering unexpected ground contamination at the site, leading to the adjustments in the legal agreement.
In response to concerns raised by Councillor Mike Lewis regarding developers citing ground contamination issues, the planning officer confirmed that the council had taken Westacres Ltd’s claims at face value without delving into a detailed cost-analysis. Councillor Lewis emphasised the importance of thoroughly evaluating future statements regarding ground contamination provided by developers to ensure transparency and accountability. The adjustments to the legal agreements for both the Oldway Centre and The Willows development by Westacres Ltd demonstrate the council’s willingness to adapt to changing circumstances and address challenges faced by developers while balancing the needs of the community and residents in Swansea.