Swansea Labour Council invests record amount for regeneration of our City and Town Centres

The Swansea Labour-led Council has identified key services which will get cash injections for essential maintenance and building upgrades over the coming year amounting to a multi-million-pound spend.

In all a pot of £7.9m has been earmarked for a number of key maintenance projects such as city schools, social service centres and the Grand Theatre.

The Labour cabinet has received a report which includes plans to set aside cash for improvements including 16 roofing projects at city schools.

Pontarddulais Comprehensive is set to see a total of £360,000 spent upgrading its wiring and radiator networks while Bishop Vaughan Comprehensive is to see a lift replacement.

As well as that £250,000 has been earmarked for maintenance improvements and roof repairs at the Grand Theatre.

If the report to Cabinet on March 17 is approved, there will also be roofing projects worth more than £850,000 for primary schools at Bishopston, Oystermouth, Ynystawe, Hendrefoilan and YGG Gwyr as well as at Bishop Gore and Olchfa comprehensive schools.

The programme is being funded by the Swansea Labour council along with £3.6m in grants from the Welsh Government which is being devoted entirely to schools upgrades.

It comes on top of the £150m 21st century schools programme – itself the biggest-ever investment in new schools and upgrades in Swansea as well as record spending on providing social care services agreed in its annual budget by the Labour administration earlier this month.

Labour Cllr Rob Stewart, Leader of the Council, said: “With the support of Welsh Government funding, we are investing millions of pounds this coming year on essential maintenance improvements for our schools and public buildings.

“As a council we recognise just how important education is not just to pupils, parents and staff but also to our city’s future economic well-being.

“Our capital maintenance budget spending demonstrates how the council’s priorities match those of the people of Swansea and, at the same time, help make further inroads into the backlog of maintenance improvements our schools and other facilities need.”

He added: “The programme takes into account the council’s commitment to reducing its carbon footprint and cutting energy costs.”