South Wales Evening Post - 24 September 2005
The plug could be pulled on any more out-of-town shopping to try to breathe life back into the city centre. The dramatic U-turn is part of a plan to breath new life into the beleaguered city centre, which could also see a number of smaller shops torn down.
The ailing Quadrant centre is criticised for being too old and unsuitable, with the attention turning to the pedestrianised section of Oxford Street as being at the heart of a new shopping revival.
Swansea Council has announced that it will no longer support out-of-town developments that attract shoppers away from the centre.
Instead, major retailers - especially famous fashion stores - are being targeted for the heart of the city.
A report by business consultants has said that the city centre is in a weak position compared to Cardiff and needs urgent action to help it compete.
News of the ban on further out-of-town developments such as those at Parc Fforestfach and Morfa have been welcomed by traders in the city.
Peter Birch, from Swansea Independent Traders, said: "We are ambitious for the city centre and welcome a new strategy if it delivers real results.
"At last the council has realised the damage that out-of-town developments, with their acres of free car parking, are doing to the city."
But Mr Birch said a lot more work was needed to develop the strategy.
"The report lacks any real detail, but we are glad something is now happening," he said.
"The city centre does need to attract quality retailers and there are a couple of prime sites ready for redevelopment.
"The report is full of fine words and ambitions but we want to see results."
The halt to out-of-town retail parks is designed to allow time for the city centre to develop.
The report by London-based firm Donaldsons gives an idea of how shopping in the city could change.
The report says many of the existing sites in the city are too small for the needs of modern retailers, though it doesn't give details of which sites might have to go to make way for the new, bigger stores.
It also says the Quadrant shopping centre, which opened in 1979, is unsuitable for the needs of many modern retailers and is beginning to show signs of its age.
The pedestrianised section of Oxford Street is identified by the experts as the prime retail area of Swansea and the majority of new developments are likely to be in this area.
The redevelopment of the former David Evans department store, which is likely to begin early next year, is seen as the first phase of the makeover.
No details have yet been released on who the tenants will be for the six new stores along the Princess Way side of the development, but it is understood that developers are targeting fashion-based retailers.
Hywel Evans, from the West Wales Chamber of Commerce, said he welcomed the ambition of the report but called for more detail.
"The city centre has been in decline for a decade or more and something major has to be done," he said.
"You can't force people to come here, you have to attract them.
"You have to offer them something they can't get anywhere else.
"Swansea is the city by the sea and you have to develop it as a place people will want to come to.
"We need far more detail on exactly how they are going to attract the big names.
"It will be interesting to see what comes from this plan."
The new strategy for the future of the city centre was adopted by Swansea Council on Thursday.
Council leader Chris Holley said: "The health of the city centre is the most vital thing for the future of Swansea.
"I hope we can all get behind this strategy."
