Swansea footbridge plan ahead of possible SA1 marina revamp

A new footbridge ahead of a possible £25m redevelopment of a Welsh marina is to be considered.

Houses, flats and businesses have grown around the Prince of Wales Dock in SA1 in Swansea but a narrow waterway stops access around the 121-year-old dock.

The Welsh Government wants to build a pedestrian and cycle bridge to avoid the almost two-mile (3.2km) diversion.

Plans for a retractable bridge were approved by Swansea council in 2014 but a new version has been submitted.

A commercial marina at Prince of Wales Dock has been an aspiration for the Welsh Government for years, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

But the bridge was not built because the marina would have cost about £25m and the Welsh Government said "given other departmental commitments, it is not being considered as a priority."

The current proposal is for a non-retractable crossing, which would prevent sail boats from accessing the dock but it would mean people could walk or ride around the dock.

It would cross the southern canal out of the dock that links it to Swansea Bay, which currently has a swing road bridge for private use by Associated British Ports.

Asked if a non-retractable bridge could impact on the delivery of a commercial marina because it would impede boats with masts, a Welsh Government spokesman said this was not the case.

"Access to a future marina at the dock, as set out in the approved marina planning consent, would be provided through the construction of a new sea lock and communication channel and the existing tidal basin," he said.