South Wales Evening Post - 19 November 2008
The bill for sprucing up the roadside outside Swansea's Civic Centre has been revealed as £100,000.
Swansea Council has spent the huge sum on landscaping the stretch along Westway to the west car park of the Civic Centre.
The scheme includes planting 11,000 bulbs, 1,600 shrubs and 15 trees.
Council bosses hope that when the bulbs grow and the trees mature there will be a blaze of colour along the roadside.
Cabinet Member for Environment John Hague said the work would add "charm and interest".
However, the hefty bill has left opposition councillors fuming.
The landscaping was introduced after the road was remodelled as part of the improvement works for public transport — including Swansea's new bendy bus, which is due to hit the streets next year — along Westway near Clarence Street, Oystermouth Road and in front of the Civic Centre, and was paid for using the Assembly transport grant.
Cabinet member for environment John Hague said: "The landscape has been designed to create an attractive setting to Oystermouth Road and Metro, to enhance the public transport experience and create a pedestrian-friendly access to the Civic Centre.
"It means cyclists, pedestrians, disabled people and public transport have easier access to the Civic Centre. It's an important investment that will add charm and interest along the seafront."
However, opposition councillors have criticised the expense.
Conservative leader Rene Kinzett said: "This does seem to me to be an awfully large sum of money to spend on "sprucing up" the roadside.
"The council spent £35,000 consulting people about what should happen to the slip bridge — and the results were ignored. Now, they spend another £100,000 on a cosmetic exercise when what people really want to know is when there will be a stop to the disruptions.
"I think County Hall's priorities are not the same as everyone else's."
Labour leader David Phillips said: "Even if you allow for the other work, in addition to the work outside county hall it can't be much more than 100 metres, so for £1,000 per metre, it seems excessive to me.
"I just hope the council has seen fit to keep the money in Swansea by employing a local firm to carry out the work."
Council leader Chris Holley has responded to the criticism.
He said: "It alarms me that leaders of both opposition parties think they can pass comment, and don't realise the money was used to enhance the environment — not just 100 metres.
"If people feel enhancing the environment is a waste of time, so be it. We are trying to make the entrance to Swansea as attractive as possible."
