Phoenix News File

DESIGNER STORE ON WAY TO CITY

2007-04-18T20:29:00.000Z

World-famous fabric and furnishings retailer Laura Ashley is heading for Swansea.The company is set to open a home furnishings store alongside Currys at Pontarddulais Retail park in Fforestfach.

It should be up and running for business by the end of July.

The news comes hot on the heels of an announcement by posh lingerie chain La Senza that it is to open in June in the city centre. Cosmetics company Lush is also on its way to the city with M &S investing millions in a big revamp of its Oxford Street store.

The investment by Laura Ashley will create 17 new jobs.

The company has had a store in Carmarthen for four years. It also had an outlet at the Homebase DIY store in Parc Tawe but pulled out in 2005.

Its new outlet will be certain to pull in extra shoppers to Swansea although experts say they are sorry it is going to an out-of-town site rather than the city centre itself.

Denise Road, chairwoman of city centre-based JT Morgan, said: "It's nice to see another well-known brand coming to Swansea.

"It's just a shame they didn't come to the city centre."

Chairman of Swansea Business Improvement District, Peter Birch, said: "I would have preferred them to come to the city centre.

"The town is developing fantastically, there's a buzz about the place so it does surprise me they have gone out of town."

Laura Ashley was the Merthyr Tydfil-born fashion and fabric designer who created a global company and brand.

The business was to become an outstanding Welsh success story.From humble beginnings working on the top of her kitchen table, Ashley made mats, napkins and tea towels, which she carried and tried to sell to various stores while in a small basement flat in London's Pimlico.

Ashley and her City stockbroker husband Bernard missed Wales and moved to Powys.

Factories were opened in Mid-Wales and by the mid-1970s Laura Ashley dresses were being sold across Europe.

There were stores in London, Paris, Geneva and Brussels as well as Llanidloes as the company's unique designs and floral patterns grew in popularity.

The booming business had 5,000 outlets throughout the world by 1981.In 1985, on her 60th birthday, Laura fell down a flight of stairs and died after nine days in a coma.

At the time the company was on the verge of expansion and employed 4,000 staff.

But the 1990s saw the company's styles fall out of fashion and in 1999 the last of her five factories in Wales was closed.

Fiona Rees of Swansea Futures, a company set up by Swansea Council to promote the city to a wider audience, said: "Laura Ashley is going through a bit of a resurgence and it is good news that a company like that sees Swansea as on the up."

NEW CITY STORE LOOKS SENZA-TIONAL

2007-04-17T20:23:00.000Z

Oo La LA! A posh new lingerie store is on its way to Swansea city centre.

The popular La Senza lingerie chain is the latest store to give the city centre a big vote of confidence by announcing it is setting up shop here.

Selling high quality lingerie, the company has a reputation for affordability and elegance.It will open at the junction of Portland Street and Oxford Street in a shop until now occupied by discount chain Profile.

The opening is being earmarked for the end of June, say company bosses.

A High Street boutique chain, La Senza promotes its products as "comfortable and romantic lingerie and nightwear".

The chain has stores in Denmark, Germany, Gibraltar, Greece, Iceland, Malta, Norway and Spain.

The company was formerly owned by Millwall Football Club director Theo Paphitis, who was one of the panel of entrepreneurs on BBC TV's Dragon's Den programme.

Last year he sold up to private equity group Lion Capital, which vowed to expand throughout the UK and Europe.

Chairman of the Swansea Business Improvement District, Peter Birch, said: "It's brilliant news.

"Every week there's somebody announcing they are coming to Swansea.

"Companies are seeing investment is being poured into Swansea.

"We have a Business Improvement District here which is a first in Wales.

"People can recognise that it's the place they want to be."

He said companies which had pulled out of the city centre could live to regret their decision.

"They might find the error of their ways and realise Swansea is a much sought-after place to come.

"A store like La Senza will add to the wide variety of shopping in Swansea.

"JT Morgan managing director John Coles said: "Any store that is coming to the city centre is good. At the end of the day, the more businesses we have in the city centre, the better it is.

"It is up to us to compete."

Shopper Holly Vance, aged 34, of Wimmerfield Avenue, Killay, Swansea, added: "At last we seem to be getting some decent names here.

"It is not before time. I just hope there are a few more in the weeks to come to add to the list.''

'YOU'VE NEVER HAD IT SO GOOD' - SAY LABOUR

2007-04-12T20:20:00.000Z

Labour has promised to bring more quality jobs to the Welsh economy with the publication of the party's manifesto for business.

It will go head-to-head with Plaid which plans to draw attention to its policy of cutting business rates for small firms when its leader Ieaun Wyn Jones hits the campaign trail tomorrow.

Labour said it would streamline business support and introduce a single flexible investment fund for business worth up to £200 million a year.

The merger of the Assembly Government and the Welsh Development Agency, part of Rhodri Morgan's bonfire of the quangos, was supposed to cut the plethora of public sector organisations offering support to business.

Labour is putting its record on the economy at the forefront of its election campaign, championing the creation of 140,000 jobs.

However, opposition parties have panned Labour, accusing it of failing to improve Wales's wealth in comparison with other UK nations and regions.

The number of apprenticeships would go up to 25,000 and skills academies would be created to train workers in key sectors under a third-term Labour government.

It would target the next round of EU aid to Wales on innovation, skills and training.

Home-grown businesses would get help competing for public contracts and there would be more money for crucial transport routes.

Mr Morgan said: "A strong and successful economy is at the heart of everything Welsh Labour is doing to build a better Wales, because more and better jobs mean more people in work and greater prosperity and confidence for all.

"The only way to ensure Wales continues to create more, better paid jobs is to vote Labour on May 3."

Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies said: "Labour is the only party in Wales committed to tackling the real challenges of globalisation.

"We do not want Wales to compete on low wages with developing economies."

Mr Morgan, who was joined by Assembly candidate Andrew Davies for yesterday's launch of the manifesto at Swansea's Sail Bridge, said the city had undergone a massive change during the four years since he opened the landmark structure across the Tawe.

He said that the sight of numerous cranes towering over the Swansea skyline was evidence that a Labour-run Assembly was helping to transform the fortunes of the city and reduce the gap between East and West Wales.

Mr Morgan added: "You can see a lot of cranes in SA1 and the city centre."SA1, Wind Street and other parts of the city are showing what can be done.

"Swansea is very much a city on the move."

Mr Morgan said Swansea's success was not only based on high profile jobs such as those in the "knowledge economy" - generated by places like the university and spin-offs operating at the Technium in SA1.

He pointed to the massive new 390 metre long Amazon distribution centre being built in Jersey Marine.

Mr Morgan said: "When you come to Swansea and you see that huge number of earth movers it tells you something.

"Amazon had to be in business by the Christmas run-up.

We were the only place which could do that and it is thanks to Andrew and his staff."

Mr Davies said the deal was turned around in 100 days and showed that Labour was able to draw in big business like Boots and Motorola which were working with Swansea University which was generating new jobs in places like the techniums in SA1.

He said: "The Technium was an idea born in Swansea. A lot of the businesses in the Technium are spin-offs from the university."

Mr Morgan added Swansea was enjoying a purple patch.

He said: "There are more people in work in Wales than ever before." First Minister Rhodri Morgan and Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, launch Labour?s new manifesto on the Sail Bridge, Swansea.

COSMETICS FIRM'S CITY STORE PLANS

2007-04-11T19:57:00.000Z

Posh cosmetics store Lush is set to open a shop in Swansea in the latest show of confidence in the city centre.

Ambitious plans to revamp the city's shopping areas are proving popular with companies, and new investment is beginning to flood in.

Work on redeveloping the David Evans site is well underway, and last week Marks and Spencer announced plans to upgrade its Oxford Street store.

Now Lush, which specialises in hand-made soaps and cosmetics, is set to open a store in Whitewalls, opposite the popular Primark store, in what was once a nail bar.

Its innovative selling style is a big winner with customers. Its goods are displayed as if in a fruit and veg store, with chunks of cosmetics cut to weight and then sold.

A spokeswoman for Lush confirmed the company was awaiting planning permission on the unit, but could not give an opening date. The news that another big name could be heading to Swansea has been welcomed.

Peter Birch, vice-chairman and secretary of the Swansea Business Improvement District and chairman of the Swansea Independent Traders Association, said: "Confidence is building in the city.

It is a great feeling knowing that companies want to come here. Not too long ago companies were leaving the city centre. It's great that things are changing.

"The city centre will certainly have more to offer than the out-of- town parks."

Denise Road, chairwoman of JT Morgan, said the latest news of fresh investment from a major national chain showed the city was on the up. Late last year she gave the renewal plans her own seal of approval by announcing plans to relocate to the David Evans site.

She said: "Marks and Spencer has revamped all its major stores, and it had been a worry that nothing was happening in Swansea. So the fact it is now planning to invest is good news. Any new investment in the city centre has to be welcomed, and Lush coming here is good news.

"We have backed the city centre with our commitment to the David Evans site, but there is a danger that smaller independent traders could be lost.

"We have experienced very difficult times in the city, and although there are impressive plans for the future, I think there needs to be some short-term help.

"A lot of cities that have been redeveloped in recent years have seen a loss of diversity because independent traders have been squeezed out or priced out.

"There is still a need to help these smaller shops until this new confidence in Swansea is translated into more shoppers."

MAKEOVER BIGGEST IN HALF A CENTURY

2007-04-09T21:25:00.000Z

Developers who want a piece of the action in Swansea's biggest makeover for more than 50 years are lining up in their hundreds.

Around 250 of them have been in touch with council bosses saying they are interested in working on the project.

The revamp is the most ambitious since the Germans flattened much of Swansea's old town centre in the Second World War prompting a 1950s building frenzy.

The makeover project was first unveiled just four weeks ago. Now officials have revealed there have been almost 250 inquiries about three key sites.

Council Leader Chris Holley said: "It's very positive news that so many developers have already been in touch and that the launch was so well-received.

"Swansea Council is hoping to attract developers for the St David's and Quadrant shopping centre, land near the Sail Bridge, and Paxton Street and east car parks at County Hall.

So far the Quadrant and St David's site and the Sail Bridge site are attracting the most attention.

Around 130 developers have inquired about the shopping area while another 100 have asked about the possibility of developing flats on the land next to the Tawe.

A detailed vision for the city centre has been produced for the council setting out a number of areas in need of regeneration. Developers have been given until the end of the month to put their names forward for the sites and a preferred partner should be named later this year.

Councillor Holley said: "We expect there'll be a lot more contact by the end of the month and that exciting, innovative ideas will be generated.

"We want to create a vibrant heart to the city centre, to develop a high-quality European boulevard at Oystermouth Road, to better connect the city to the waterfront and to develop complementary districts such as Mansel Street and Alexandra Road.

"The strategy is part of a long-term plan to regenerate the city which many claim has suffered from underinvestment by the private sector for some years.

Peter Birch, vice-chairman and secretary of the Swansea Business Improvement District and chairman of the Swansea Independent Traders Association, said he was delighted with the interest shown in the revamp.

He added: "More is happening in Swansea now than has ever happened in my time here since 1980. There is more money being invested here than in a lot of towns and cities in Britain.

"The city stagnated for so long, but now people are concentrating on the centre again. There was a time when developers were looking at out-of-town areas, but that has stopped and they now want to be involved with the centre and to see that thriving again.

"This council has made a brave decision to get the leisure centre reopened and it is reaping the rewards from that and its vision for Swansea. I am really pleased for the city and the traders who have hung on in here through the hard times. Things are really looking up now and I am happy to be part of that."

'IT'S NOT JUST A REVAMP IT'S AN M&S REVAMP'

2007-04-09T21:18:00.000Z

Retail giant Marks & Spencer has delivered a much- needed boost to Swansea city centre.

It is to invest millions into its Oxford Street store, turning it into a flagship development.

The transformation is being seen as a huge vote of confidence in the city centre as a retail hotspot.

Company bosses won't reveal exactly how much they are spending on the revamp.

But it is known the interior of the shop is to be gutted and completely remodelled with bigger women's wear, homeware and furniture sections and a new food hall in a scheme that will cost a fortune.

The store's cafe is going to be moved to the second floor. An extra 40 seats are going to be added.

Store manager Darren Rayner said that the changes would make the Swansea store the most modern M &S in South Wales. "This investment is terrific news for the company and for the city," he said."When it is finished it will be the only store in South Wales to have the full refit, something not even our store in Cardiff will have.

"The investment is a massive boost for the city centre, which is constantly having to fight off competition from nearby out-of-town retail parks.

Fears had even been voiced in some quarters that M &S itself might pull out because of the success of its developments at Parc Fforestfach. And only this week company bosses confirmed they are to switch their Llanelli town centre operation in favour of the nearby Parc Trostre retail park.

However, Mr Rayner said the new investment in Swansea demonstrated the store's commitment to the city centre.

"We are playing our part in regenerating the city centre," he said."It is clear that things are happening in Swansea, and we want to be a part of that change.

"The city centre is still important and we want to be here. But we don't just want to stay, we want to grow and develop here.

"Work on the store is due to start next month and is expected to last 19 weeks. The shop will remain open during the refurbishment. Around 60,000 shoppers use M &S every week and it is a major factor is bringing people into the city centre. A revamped store is likely to have a positive knock-on effect for other traders.

News of the investment was welcomed by Rosemary Morgan, chairwoman of the City Centre Partnership.

She said: "It is very encouraging for Swansea that an organisation like Marks & Spencer is making this commitment. "It shows the confidence they have in the city centre.

"Hopefully it will help to encourage other big names to follow their example and invest in Swansea."

Swansea city centre shopper Adele Warwick, of Sydney Street in Brynhyfryd, said: "I am delighted.

"I think M &S is the one thing that really still pulls people into Swansea. This can only help that."

NEW CLUB APPEALS FOR HELP

2007-03-20T18:18:00.001Z

Fledgling Swansea youth club is appealing to big business to help get the project off the ground.

Organisers at the new Brynmill and Uplands club have written to high street names including Argos, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Currys and Soccer World asking them to get involved.

The project, which is aimed at 11 to 16-year-olds, will be officially launched on Sunday, March 18, at Brynmill Community Centre.Some funding for equipment and training has already come from the Sports Council for Wales's Dragon Sports initiative, and Uplands Labour Party has made a donation.

The people behind the club say they hope it will help to keep youngsters off the streets.One of the organisers, Ian Ross, said: "This is a great opportunity for businesses to make a real difference in the local community."

COUNCILLORS 'IN THE DARK' OVER SCHEME'S RISKS

2007-03-20T12:20:00.000Z

Swansea Council has been attacked for a lack of information and confusion over its multi-million pound eGovernment programme.

Councillor Rene Kinzett, chairman of the eGov working group, has criticised officers for not keeping members updated on the scheme.

He pointed out that councillors learned of financial risks and claims for extra cash by the council's eGov partner, Capgemini, through an annual report.

Councillor Kinzett said the lack of information was one of the reasons for confusion over issues such as cost.

He said: "In these circumstances, where information is given out on a less than timely basis and where members are kept in the dark and given half the picture, is it any surprise that the media print stories which may not be entirely accurate?

"When the information coming out of County Hall is less than the whole truth, who can blame the news reporters?"

Swansea Council said councillors were kept in the loop in a number of ways, including regular briefings for Councillor Mary Jones, cabinet member for Top Performance and eGovernment.

A council source said a recent briefing on eGovernment was badly attended.

But Councillor Kinzett said he and his colleagues were frequently left in the dark on the progress of the scheme.

He said that in September the eGov working party was told that it was on course to meet a key target for the implementation of a new payroll system, but it emerged that during the same week officers were working on the assumption that the target would be missed.

Capgemini has submitted a claim to Swansea Council for increased costs because of the delay, with both sides discussing a way forward.

Councillor Kinzett said: "I find it incredible that members found out about the potential action via a budget report and not via a briefing from the responsible officers.

"I was led to believe by the cabinet member that she did not know about the failure to hit the February delivery time, itself several months after the original planned going live date, until a matter of days before the target was missed."

Councillor Mary Jones was not available for comment.A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "Councillors are being kept informed of progress on the eGovernment programme in a variety of ways."

The cabinet member for eGovernment and Top Performance receives regular briefings at weekly one-to-one updates and Cabinet receives regular updates.

"The eGovernment member working group is updated at its monthly meetings.

"The Performance Scrutiny Board has included eGovernment as part of its work programme and receives reports as requested."Further briefings are arranged on request.

"eGovernment is a complex programme and developments can occur between one committee meeting and the next, and we continue to improve ways to keep members updated."

BUS STATION PLANS FACE FUNDS BLOW

2007-03-19T21:04:00.000Z

The long-awaited multi-million pound overhaul of the grotty Quadrant bus station is likely to take a back seat yet again, Swansea Council chiefs have admitted.

The disappointing news comes after the authority picked up a 2007/8 transport grant of just £8.6 million of the £15.5 million it had asked for from the Assembly.

It means the council has to make some tough decisions about where to spend the cash, with projects already underway expected to get priority.

The revamp plans, first announced in 2003, have already been put back several times.

Reena Owen, the authority's environment director, said: "The £8.6 million grant will allow us to complete a number of important schemes which are already underway.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't give us enough money to be confident to go ahead with the Quadrant bus station at the beginning of the financial year.

"Improvements to the city's park and ride facilities are going ahead, with the new sidings bridge over Fabian Way and new Landore express bus route planned, along with other smaller projects.

But city leaders will have to decide how to use the remaining cash, with both the new £5.75 million Quadrant bus station and improvements for the Morriston stage of the bendy bus scheme in the running.

Mrs Owen said talks were being held with the private sector about investing in the station redevelopment. First Bus has already said it is prepared to talk about becoming involved.

She said European funding was also being looked at, as a way of attracting the 20 per cent of private money Enterprise Minister Andrew Davies has said he wants to see injected into the scheme.

Swansea Council has already done a deal for the land needed for the revamp, and gained the necessary planning permission.

Mrs Owen said: "The redevelopment of Quadrant bus station remains a priority."We now need to work with the private sector and the Welsh Assembly Government to get the funding in place."

Environment cabinet member John Hague said: "We have allocated the funding to schemes which have already started. We have contractors on site and this funding will ensure we complete these schemes as planned. It is not a case of choosing schemes ahead of the bus station.

"We cannot use all of the funding for the bus station, because it would mean contractors being pulled off site, external funding for these schemes being lost and the council having to pay back grants.

"The most sensible thing is to now press ahead and finish the schemes we've started, while at the same time seeking additional funding for the new bus station."

CENTRAL LIBRARY TO TURN OVER A NEW LEAF

2007-03-16T23:15:00.000Z

Work on Swansea's multi-million pound new central library has started.It is being built as part of the new civic centre in County Hall.

The £13 million project has been underway for some time but work on the library is now taking place.

It will see the city's central library move from its home in Alexandra Road to the new base in County Hall.

It is due to open in spring next year and Swansea Council is promising it will be bigger, with more books and other media and a self-service check-in and check-out.

But the big move will mean big changes.

The Alexandra Road library will close on Mondays from April 16, as staff begin the huge task of moving the vast collection of books.

Staff from County Hall are also on the move and are being relocated to Oldway House in Orchard Street to make space for the new civic centre.

Rehousing the staff of around 70 is costing Swansea Council £148,000.

A spokesman for the authority said public services would not be affected by the work on the new library and the civic centre.

When it is completed the civic centre will include a seafront caf??, a family history centre, an exhibition area and a customer contact centre.

A spokesman said the library move was going well.

He said: "It means that the central library will be closed on Mondays only from April 16 to make sure that they can be moved from the building safely and effectively."

Central library project manager Karen Gibbins said: "Much of the collection currently resides either in basement storage or on the galleries in the reference library.

"All these books have to be removed for assessment so that repairs and rebinding can be carried out and the catalogues updated.

"Unfortunately, this work cannot be carried out when the library is open to the public, and the sheer quantity of material to get though means that this adjustment to opening hours is unavoidable."

Principal librarian Rebecca Williams said: "The first new books were bought last week and planning is well underway for the events programme which we hope will provide something for everyone, from baby rhyme-times to local history talks."

Gerald Clement, cabinet member for culture, recreation and tourism, said: "It is a painstaking and complex task that can't be done overnight. Some of the collections are very fragile and need to be looked after carefully for the enjoyment of future generations.

"The council will only be able to do this if staff have plenty of time to do it. Spreading the effort out over a number of months by closing the library on Mondays minimises the inconvenience to library users."

PM'S AIDES TO STUDY SWANSEA'S CRIME CUT

2007-03-15T13:36:00.000Z

Tony Blair's officials have been sent to the city to find out how Swansea is cutting crime.Jeremy Marlow, deputy director of justice with the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit, visited the Safer Swansea Partnership to see how it had helped achieve a 20 per cent fall in overall crime.

He was brought to the city by Gillian Baranski, crime director for Wales, for him to see how the partnership is making a difference.

Mr Marlow said: "Swansea is clearly a place where hard-working and committed people in the police, council, NHS and other agencies are working together to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour."

Mandy Jones, interim head of community regeneration for Swansea Council, said: "We were able to show how our passion for driving projects forward and how achieving ambitious targets is leading to recognition throughout England and Wales.

"While we have achieved a lot in four years, there is still more to be done but we will continue with the same level of commitment."

Shameful Act

2007-03-14T20:04:00.000Z

Labour and Conservative councillors broke with protocol when they voted against Deputy Lord Mayor Ioan Richard becoming the city's next Lord Mayor.

The leaders of both political groups on the council chose to ignore our request to explain their actions.

The attempt by one Labour councillor to blame the coalition for failing to drum up enough support for Councillor Richard is a pathetic smokescreen and earns our contempt.

Shame on him, and the others involved in this spiteful episode.

School work on schedule

2007-03-13T21:34:00.000Z

Work on Morriston Comprehensive School's new £3 million science and maths block is on course to open in September.

Swansea Council said most of the building's steel frame is finished and work is progressing on the ground floor brick-work.

When finished, the two-storey extension will house dedicated classrooms for maths teaching and hi-tech science laboratories.

The cash for the scheme is coming from the Assembly's school building improvement grant.

Head teacher Peter Washbrook said: "This investment at the school will have a positive impact on pupils and staff, and should provide an enormous contribution to our young people's studies."

Talks held to push forward station facelift

2007-03-06T21:08:00.000Z

Private sector cash could be used to finally deliver the long awaited transformation of Swansea's run down Quadrant bus station.

Assembly Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, Andrew Davies, has handed Swansea Council a bumper £8.23 million as part of the transport grant settlement.

Up to £3.88 million of that could be used to push forward the redevelopment of the Quadrant bus station - it is increasingly being criticised for its poor condition.The cash has been awarded to the council's transport package, which includes the Landore express bus route, Quadrant Interchange, extension of the Landore park and ride, and internal works to High Street station.

An Assembly spokesman said it would be up to Swansea Council how the cash was split among the schemes.

But Mr Davies has revealed that talks are planned between Swansea Council and First Cymru to look at the company investing in the scheme.

Exact details of how that would work and whether it would mean further delays to a scheme that has been on the drawing board for a number of years is not yet known. Swansea Council has won planning permission for the project that would see a new bus terminal created along with a travel and information centre, improved office and toilet facilities, and food and drink shops.

It has agreed a deal for the land that busses currently use to turn around.

But the scheme could now change with First Cymru on board. Justin Davies, from First Cymru in Swansea, said the company had worked on similar schemes across the UK and had plenty of experience.

He added: "If we can bring that to bear on the bus station redevelopment then that is something."We will be looking at the announcement and talking to our property teams, and getting them to look at the schemes but it is at a very early stage.

"We are keen to come on board. Everyone wants the Quadrant redoing, but it is too early to talk about timetables yet."

Mr Davies said: "I am delighted to announce this funding allocation of more than £8 million for Swansea to support its transport schemes.

"This allocation will enable Swansea to take forward the redevelopment of the Quadrant bus station and improve transport in the Swansea area."

The £8.23 million transport grant includes cash for a variety of schemes including the bendy bus scheme, £100,000 for the Hafod integrated transport study and £305,000 for the county's Safe Routes to School schemes.

Mr Davies said: "This funding demonstrates our absolute commitment to promoting sustainable transport, and providing an effective and integrated transport system for the people of Swansea."

IT outfit sues over £170m axed project

2007-03-02T18:56:00.000Z

Swansea Council is being sued by the IT firm it brought in to revolutionise its computer systems.

Capgemini, the company asked to deliver the council's £170 million eGovernment project, has submitted a claim against the council.

It is reportedly looking for extra cash because of delays implementing a new payroll system.It is understood the row could result in a "significant financial impact" on council funds.

The two sides are believed to be pointing the finger at one another over the delays.

It is the latest chapter in the controversial scheme, and comes just weeks after the council dismissed the possibility of any penalty charges for dropping the second phase.

Service@Swansea would have seen an all-singing, all-dancing, one-stop shop for council queries set up.

But councillors axed the scheme because of spiralling costs.Instead they are expected to buy a system used by Cardiff Council for less than £1 million - a fraction of the £83 million bill for Service@Swansea

But the new service will not have a call centre with residents having to deal with council staff face to face instead.

The whole Service@Swansea saga has been an embarrassment to council officers who failed to heed warnings given by council staff when they took strike action against the plans in 2004.

Councillor Rene Kinzett, who chairs the council's eGovernment working party, said the exact cost of the claim was not known but insisted promised saving levels had not been achieved.

He said: "We don't know the full story, there are claims and counter-claims."We, as councillors, are stuck in the middle, being kept in the dark. It would be in the several tens of thousands, it would be a significant amount.

"The council is still working with Capgemini to deliver the first phase of the eGovernment project but Councillor Kinzett is concerned about the relationship.

He said: "What is the atmosphere like? What is the working environment like if they are throwing lawsuits at each other?

"And what happened about this being a launchpad for the rest of Wales?"

Capgemini declined to comment on the claim on grounds of client confidentiality.

The project was highlighted in the budget as a financial risk.

A report said: "Delay in implementing new systems has resulted in a claim for additional payments by the contractor.

Schools face axe as numbers fall

2007-02-27T21:28:00.000Z

More school closures are on the way in Swansea.Councillors say it is the only way to deal with a big drop in pupil numbers.

There are more than 5,000 spare places in the county already. The figure will have risen to 6,000 by 2009.

The drop in pupil numbers means less cash for schools, and councillors have warned that parents must now brace themselves for closures.

The move is likely to lead to an outcry wherever the axe falls. But it now appears inevitable.

Councillor John Miles, chairman of the authority's education scrutiny board, told a meeting yesterday: "It is not going to be an easy task, but it is something that has to be done.

"Whoever is in power will have to deal with this.

"Pupils are suffering because the schools are getting smaller and there is not enough money for the full curriculum to be delivered."

There was an outcry in the city when proposals to merge Dylan Thomas and Bishop Gore Schools were announced in 2005.

That move would have seen Dylan Thomas school close, with pupils being transferred to an improved Bishop Gore site.

However, the idea was eventually dropped after angry parents lobbied councillors.

Governor of Dylan Thomas Dereck Roberts said: "I do not think closures are necessarily the way forward."They need to look at the other possible options.

"There are huge expenses involved with closures."

Other schools in the county have already been closed because of falling numbers.

Garnswllt School in the Amman Valley closed its doors for the final time in July, after 130 years, because there were so few pupils.

Councillor Miles said parents needed to understand that changes across the city were necessary.

"If we look at one school or a small group of schools then people will feel targeted," he said."We need to make it clear to all the people in the county that there's a problem in education.

"The reality is that we have far too many schools and they are under-occupied. We all have to face up to that fact.

"It is going to take two to three years before we start moving with it, and we need to publicise that we have a major issue."

Any closures will need to be balanced by huge improvements to existing schools or even newly-built replacements, according to the committee.

Councillor Richard Lewis said residents needed to be made aware of the problems, and said the long-term benefits would outweigh short-term fears.

"The medicine may not be popular or palatable now."People will be marching down the streets with banners and placards saying don't close my school,'' he added.

"People have to know that schools will close, but at the end of the day the standard of education in Swansea will go up."

Cabinet member for education Councillor Mike Day said he would consider the recommendations from the committee when they were delivered in April.

He added: "I am pleased the scrutiny board is looking at this issue, which affects not only Swansea but all other areas.

"What is clear is that some action will be needed to tackle surplus places and the condition of school buildings."

New deal on IT system will be £83m cheaper

2007-02-26T15:07:00.000Z

A Planned customer service system for Swansea Council costing around £84 million has been ditched in favour of one costing less than £1 million.The authority has been forced to turn to Cardiff Council for help after its multi-million pound IT plans fell apart.

Private firm Capgemini had been in line to provide the cutting-edge customer service system after supplying the technology to replace the authority's back office IT system.

But as projected costs spiralled, council leaders decided to drop the company and find a cheaper alternative.

Cabinet member for eGovernment Mary Jones has now confirmed high-level talks with Cardiff Council are at an advanced stage and a deal could be struck within weeks.

Just £200,000 has been set aside for the start-up of the scheme, which is expected to be in place by September.

It will not deliver the ambitious promises outlined when the council embarked on its eGovernment programme two years ago, but comes at a fraction of the cost.

Councillor Jones said an alternative had to be found after an option to deal with Capgemini was dropped in January.

"We have gone out to look for an alternative that is affordable and acceptable for what we want to do with it.

"No deal has been done, but we have had talks with Cardiff Council to use its system."

Swansea Council's involvement with Capgemini has been dogged by controversy. As well as spiralling costs, the deal to transfer council staff to the firm caused the longest public sector strike in Welsh history.

Less than £8 million of a projected £26 million of savings have so far been identified as achievable.

Another link to Capgemini, the project's name, has also gone.

Councillor Jones said: "We are dropping the name Service@Swansea . The new system will not be called that and we have three alternatives that we are looking at."

The opening of the council's new customer contact centre at County Hall in September is a key factor - something has to be in place by then, and Cardiff offers an affordable and reliable solution.

However, unlike the original plans there will be no call centre, and residents will have to deal with staff face-to-face, or use an email form.

The news has been broadly welcomed by opposition groups at Swansea Council, although they say too much time has been wasted with Capgemini.

Councillor Mark Child, the Labour group's technology spokesman, said: "Unfortunately, we no longer have the IT expertise to be able to implement this in-house as they were all transferred to Capgemini. Having said that, this is the approach we have been advocating all along.

"Cardiff has had this system for five years and it is something we could have gone with much earlier."

Conservative group leader Rene Kinzett agreed that something needed to be done.

He added: "It is only a shame that we have spent so much time and energy, and possibly money, on discussions with Capgemini.

"The fact that we are not making the savings from the first phase means we are not in a position to get anything like the system we were promised."

Decision due on ice rink plans for City

2007-02-19T21:28:00.000Z

Swansea's ice rink hopes could be decided in the next two months.The council is in talks with developers and says the possibility of a new rink is still very much alive a year after plans were first revealed.

Developers are expected to bring firm proposals to the council within two months.Talks aimed at bringing an rink to the city are still at an early stage 12 months on, but Planet Ice, the company behind the proposals, is still keen to come to the city.

The car park next to the refurbished £32 million leisure centre is believed to be their preferred site.

The company, which has rinks in Basingstoke, Milton Keynes and the Isle of Wight, has been discussing the plans with Swansea Council and is hopeful a deal can be arranged.

Planet Ice was the company behind the city's hugely successful temporary ice rink at Christmas, on the land in front of the National Waterfront Museum.

Heath Rhodes, the company's communications manager, said: "We are still in negotiations with Swansea Council over the rink, but everything looks quite positive.

"We cannot say how, what, where or when yet, but we are still looking at Swansea favourably."A delegation from the council has already visited Planet Ice's Coventry rink to see how it is run.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "It was a fact-finding visit by officers to see one of the venues being operated by a leading company in this field.

"The visit will form part of an initial assessment of the potential for such a project in Swansea."

It is also understood that property developers acting on behalf of Planet Ice have been in the city to look at possible sites.

Oystermouth Road car park, or part of it, is thought to be one of the company's favoured sites, although both parties say it is too early to talk about specific details.

Swansea Council's spokesman confirmed talks are continuing.

He said: "The council is currently in preliminary discussions with an ice rink operator to explore opportunities for delivering an ice rink development within the city centre. These discussions are at an early stage, and a number of exciting options are still being considered.

"These negotiations are ongoing and are aimed at allowing the council to fully assess the business case for any proposed future development."

Council leader Chris Holley said any deal would have to be right for Swansea.

"All I can say is that developers have been to the city to have a look, but they haven't yet come back with a plan," he said.

"If they do decide to come, and as long as they put together a reasonable development for Swansea, then we will welcome it.

"The success of the Waterfront Winterland and temporary ice skating rink over Christmas will have surprised a lot of people.

"Hopefully, they will look at that and see if they can repeat that success."

Crime fight success is example to all

2007-02-16T18:28:00.000Z

A Crime-busting Swansea community has been held up as an example for others to follow right across the UK.Five years ago the local police station was fire-bombed, with teenagers regularly causing problems.

But in a remarkable turnaround things are now on the up again in the city's Blaenymaes and Portmead areas.

They were yesterday visited by Home Office Minister Tony McNulty, who paid tribute to the work done to make life better for locals.

The Broughton Avenue police station has had a friendly mural painted outside. Officials say it is a telling sign of the community's intent not to give in to the criminal element.

Overall in Swansea, official Home Office figures show a fall in crime of 20 per cent in the past three to four years, a reduction equal to 6,000 fewer victims of crime.

Mr McNulty said he was struck by "the enthusiasm there was from both police and local community leaders in driving crime down and working on a positive way for the area.

Mr McNulty spoke to Swansea East MP Sian James, Swansea East AM Val Lloyd and local councillors and volunteers about the progress shown in tackling crime.

"The absolute vibe is that this has been done from the ground up. This has been achieved with the police, so people in Blaenymaes get a real sense of being part of the solution in tackling crime rather than something being done from above," he said.

Mrs James said: "There has been an overall reduction in crime of 20 per cent in Swansea. One of the things we are talking to the Minister about is how do we showcase the good work going on in Swansea across the policing spectrum?

"There are still things we need to work harder at and improve on.

"You can never really take your foot off the pedal, you have to keep working and making sure the community feels safe."

Val Lloyd said: "The whole community has come together to fight crime in Blaenymaes. Good results in Swansea show that local people are serious about tackling crime and anti-social behaviour, and that partnership working is effective."

Portmead resident Jim Hopper said the community still had its problems, but things had improved in recent years.

He added: "We still have our fair share of troublemakers, but I think there is a general feeling that we will not let them win.''

£850k cash boost to keep schools open

2007-02-14T23:50:00.000Z

Swansea is to pour hundreds of thousands of pounds into its crumbling schools in a bid to keep them open.The council has identified 12 schools in urgent need of investment to reduce the risk of closure.

The cash will reduce the risk of further deterioration due to problems such as ageing heating and electrical equipment.New heating and electrical systems are planned along with repairs to leaking roofs and windows.

A total of £850,000 will be splashed out on the dozen schools.But education bosses have accepted that a bigger problem remains.

All of Swansea's 109 schools have undergone a condition survey to give the council a clear picture of how big a problem it faces.

In 2005 a report to council revealed that a massive £50 million in repairs was needed to bring the schools up to scratch.

A survey of Bishop Gore comprehensive in Sketty found a long list of problems.

Councillor Mike Day, the cabinet member for education, has admitted that the council needs to come up with a long term solution to address Swansea's deteriorating schools.

He said: "This winter we have had problems with leaking roofs and windows.

"We also know that many heating and electrical systems are close to the end of their natural life and need replacing.

"This extra funding, along with our annual capital maintenance programme, will tackle urgent areas, but we need a major rethink to address the full scale of the challenge.

"Parents, governors, pupils and staff have already told us during the wide-ranging school organisation consultation that they have concerns over the condition of schools and the facilities available to children.

"This is a Wales-wide problem, but we are committed to working alongside head teachers and agreeing a way forward for schools in the city and county."

Councillor Day said that the council was committed to improving the city's schools and that the £850,000 was on top of £2 million earmarked for school maintenance for the coming financial year.

He said: "We are committed to providing the best possible schools for our children, but many of our school buildings are ageing and deteriorating quite quickly.

"We are making this extra investment to target the most urgent issues in our schools.

"This will help reduce the risk of schools having to close due to maintenance problems.

"This is a significant investment from the council which will address some of the concerns of head teachers, governors, parents and pupils."

Bid to sharpen City businesses' cutting edge

2007-02-10T18:51:00.000Z

Swansea Council is hoping to encourage cutting-edge businesses to the city with the launch of a new economic strategy.

The aim is to build on the reputation the city already has with leading research and development companies that have already set up in Swansea, including the Technium initiatives and the new £50 million Institute of Life Sciences at Swansea University.

The Economic Regeneration Strategy will set out how new technology companies will fit into Swansea's economy over the next 10 years.

Andrew Davies, Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks, said: "Swansea is playing a leading role in the transformation of Wales as a knowledge economy. This is a bold vision for a region at the cutting edge of research, technology and entrepreneurship."

Council leader Chris Holley said the strategy would help generate the right local economic conditions to create quality jobs for local people.

He said: "This strategy recognises that tackling economic inactivity and equipping our young people with the skills they need is the most effective platform for building economic success.

"It aims to develop key sectors in the local economy that are already doing well such as tourism, computing, life sciences, professional services and creative industries.

"These are very much at the heart of a strong knowledge economy and a revitalised Swansea will be well placed to take advantage of the success story of the city's university, which is a breeding ground for some of the brightest and best entrepreneurs in Wales."

Streets get revamp to fit in with city project

2007-02-10T18:44:00.000Z

Work to add an extra sparkle to Swansea city centre could be completed by next month.The scheme will see roads linking The Kingsway and Oxford Street given a makeover.

The move is ahead of a massive £3.5 million improvement project due to start in April.

Contractors are currently upgrading Upper Union Street, Portland Street and Park Street. The work includes resurfacing of roads and pavements with similar materials as that used for the refurbishment of The Kingsway. It is expected to be completed by the end of March and be followed by the £3.5 million city centre core retail scheme.

The Assembly- funded scheme is aimed at making the city centre a more vibrant and dynamic place to visit.

It will include new street furniture, public art and replacing of roads and pavements.

Chris Holley, leader of Swansea Council, said: "What is happening on Upper Union Street, Portland Street and Park Street is indicative of the long-term plan we have for Swansea city centre.

"Every effort has been made to minimise disruption and traders have and will be kept up to date about the works.

"Work will not commence until after the Easter period to enable adequate consultation with traders over working arrangements and to avoid disruption to business, including the important tourism sector."

Councillor Holley said the work, combined with the various new developments underway in the city, meant that there was a bright future for Swansea.

He said: "We are committed to making the city centre as visually attractive as possible as we make strides towards becoming a European city of distinction.

"Enhancing the appearance of the city centre will supplement ongoing projects such as the regeneration of the former David Evans site and will encourage more people to visit Swansea.

"This will be a boost for local traders and for the local economy."

City centre shopper Sean Tyler, of Gendros, said: " It can't come a minute too soon.''

Bendy flexibility fears dismissed

2007-02-10T18:25:00.000Z

Worries that Swansea's controversial new bendy bus may not be flexible enough have been dismissed by city leaders.

There have been concerns that the scheme, which proposes running 60ft buses from Morriston Hospital to Mumbles, would struggle to get through Woodfield Street's already busy shopping area.

Councillor Robert Francis Davies said many residents had raised concerns and asked how it would navigate the church in the middle of the road.

Swansea Council has dismissed the concerns, adding that it does not envisage significant cost in adapting the Morriston stage of the route.

But Councillor Francis Davies has reservations.He said: "People have heard rumours that the church in the middle of the road was going to be knocked down, but I have had a letter back from the council saying there is no truth in that whatsoever.

"But how will it get through? If it does get through there, how will it turn up Chemical Road? It is quite a hard turn."If it is going to bypass Woodfield Street, how is that going to help the economy of the local area? It is not linked-up thinking.

"If it does go through there, I don't see how it is going to work with the church in the middle of the road."

A council spokesman said a feasibility study of the route for the bus had been completed and that cash for work on the Morriston stage would come from the Assembly.

He said: "In terms of Morriston, the route will travel along main roads already established as bus routes.

"The details of this are currently being examined, but no significant costs are envisaged."

The Swansea Metro scheme has been accepted by the Welsh Assembly Government for transport grant funding. This will include all infrastructure costs. Timescale will depend on the funding announcement from WAG.

"He added that an announcement was due and that the Morriston route would be completed by late next year.But Councillor Francis Davies is not convinced there is support or demand for the bendy bus.

He said: "So far I am yet to find anyone who thinks it is a good idea. Anything that makes roads better would be welcome.

"But Morriston Hospital has probably got the best bus service now, it is a very regular service.

"Will it mean there will be bigger buses at larger intervals?"Councillor Francis Davies said the city centre looked better for the infrastructure improvement done to accommodate the new buses.

But he added: "I don't believe there is a need for a bendy bus.

"It hasn't been thought out and there hasn't been much consultation."

Don't ruin it with rows

2007-02-08T21:06:00.000Z

I Attended the Better Swansea Partnership meeting held at the Dylan Thomas Centre recently as one of many business leaders and community councillors from across Swansea.The BSP meeting was a day-long event and presentations were made by city officials on progress that is being made to revitalise Swansea. Plans for the further development of the city were also outlined.

What came across to all present was a general feeling of confidence. This was reflected in discussions with various business leaders who all felt that after years of stagnation under Labour (remember their long-harboured but over-ambitious plans for Castle Quays), the present administration is turning the fortunes of Swansea around.There is a positive buzz about Swansea and its future.

At a time when things are improving, it is a pity that minor squabbles among the parties that form the administration are in danger of undermining what, together, they were all managing to achieve. I hope the parties can put their differences behind them and continue the excellent work they have embarked upon.

Councillor Gillian Evans
Park Road
Gorseinon,
Swansea

Work resumes on Kingsway Revamp Scheme

2007-02-03T22:38:00.000Z

Work to complete footway improvements along The Kingsway is underway again.

The council started the improvements at the end of 2006 but moved off site temporarily to avoid disrupting the busy shopping period in December.

Contractors have now returned and will be working along the Kingsway to replace and improve pavements and kerbing along its length.

Part of the funding will also be used to install new bus shelters and street lighting as part of the 16-week project.

Head of transportation and engineering Anthony O'Sullivan said: "The works will complement the highway improvements already achieved along The Kingsway.

"The end result will provide shoppers and visitors with a much more pedestrian-friendly environment."

Kingsway trader Alex Rees, of Alexander Hair in Craddock Street, said: "The council has done an excellent job of improving the look of the Kingsway and the surrounding area. The flow of traffic has also improved."

True colour or false?

2007-02-03T13:35:00.000Z

So, Councillor Margaret Smith, who was elected as an independent but was really a Conservative all the time, has come out and joined the Conservative group (Post, January 24); Councillor Rene Kinzett who stood as Liberal Democrat has suddenly found after all these years that he too is really a Conservative. Meanwhile, councillors Joan Peters and Huw Rees have renounced their Tory views, having only just discovered Liberal Democracy as practised in Swansea. What conclusions should voters draw?

If politicians haven't worked out their political beliefs by the time they have obtained political office, they are not worth voting for. At the 2007 Assembly elections and the 2008 council elections, be sure you can trust those who come asking for your support.

True independents are few and far between and should be eyed with great suspicion on the doorstep. As for Swansea, how can councillors be independent yet form part of the administration?

Members of Plaid Cymru and Labour at least stand for something more than just personal ambition and the pocketing of council allowances; what a pity Plaid didn't take power with Labour in 2004 and save the city and county from the shambles that now passes for local government in County Hall.

Tony Beddow
Wind Rode
Llangennith,
Gower

Demolition work starts at City store

2007-02-02T19:46:00.000Z

Demolition work has begun on Swansea's landmark David Evans store.

Concrete canopies surrounding the building have gone. Scaffolding is now going up ahead of full-scale work getting underway on Monday.

Experts say destruction of the building is a complicated process requiring specific machinery. It cannot be simply bulldozed.

The House of Fraser store has been closed since January 2005. A discount chain operated in it for part of last year before pulling out.

Historic medallions will be saved from the front of the old city centre site and if they can be removed intact, Swansea Council has agreed to display them in the gardens of Swansea Museum.

The demolition process will take between 16 and 20 weeks.A completion date for a new shopping centre going up on the land has been set for summer 2008. It will feature six new shops, including Zara, Slater Menswear and JT Morgan, which is moving from its current location in Belle Vue Way.

Council leader Chris Holley said he was pleased demolition was beginning.

He said: "People will soon be able to see work ongoing at David Evans as we move further towards a flagship scheme that will regenerate the city centre."

City centre shoppers yesterday said they were pleased to see work get underway.

Michelle Harris, of Uplands, added however: "Every time I go past it I miss David Evans. It is such a shame it has gone. There's not a lot left and I think a lot of work still has to be done to make the city somewhere people really want to go to."

City centre office worker Les Kelly, of Plasmarl, said: "I just wish David Evans was still there, but I am glad something is at last being done to what was becoming a bit of an eyesore."

Developers keep quiet on retail park plans

2007-02-02T19:37:00.000Z

Developers are keeping quiet over the future of a key city centre site in Swansea.

A new firm has bought a 50 per cent share in the first phase of the city's edge-of-town Parc Tawe retail park.

Property firm Hammerson picked up a share in the development when it bought up previous owners LBX's portfolio.

The company has so far failed to return the Post's calls and explain any plans for the prime site.

The other 50 per cent share is owned by property managers Land Securities.

A spokeswoman for the company admitted that new plans for the site were being considered but refused to be drawn on specifics.

Parc Tawe is in urgent need of a revamp.The once hugely popular site was a massive draw for visitors with its cinema, bowling alley and Plantasia hot house.

All three remain along with shops and anchor tenant Toys R Us. But there have been complaints the area has generally become rundown and scruffy.

Former owners LBX admitted the site was "pretty ugly" and that something needed to be done. Expert consultants Roger Tym and Partners, brought in to develop a blueprint for developing Swansea city centre, have also earmarked the site as being in dire need of development.

Visitors to the park are frequently stuck in long queues when they try to leave the car park. Its layout has been heavily criticised.A proposal to move Plantasia and redevelop the site was suggested a few years ago.

Developers argued the siting of the hot house caused problems for traffic management and effectively cut the retail park in two.

But council bosses were not thought to be keen on such a complex proposal.

Traders and politicians have accepted that new life needs to be injected into the park itself.A spokeswoman for Land Securities said that Parc Tawe's future was being reviewed.

She said: "At the moment we are looking at different proposals and doing some consultation with Swansea Council."

Makeover for City Store

2007-02-02T19:34:00.000Z

A Swansea superstore is to be given a major face-lift which bosses hope will give it the edge in the battle for shoppers' cash.Sainsbury's on Quay Parade in the city centre is to be gutted and given a big-money makeover.

The work will boost the space available for stocking non-food items, as the big supermarkets increasingly compete to offer one-stop-shopping to customers.

The store will be closed from 6pm on Saturday, February 24 until 9am on Tuesday, March 1 to allow the work to be carried out.

When it reopens the new shop will have more space for home furnishings, clothing, electrical items, DVDs and music as well as new jewellery, lighting and DIY and car-care sections.

The work will also involve moving the in-store pharmacy and upgrading the cafe. The outside of the riverfront shop will not change.

Supermarkets are increasingly turning to non-grocery items as they fight for market share.Last week Asda in Morriston offered cut-price DVD players to customers, selling its entire batch of 500 of the £9 machines in a day.

That deal followed the promotion of £19 men's suits in the same store.Meanwhile, the future of the Tesco superstore on Oystermouth Road remains uncertain.

Company bosses had wanted to massively increase the size of the shop by adding a second floor, and boost parking with an extra 170 spaces in a two-storey car park.

But they withdrew the plans after consultation with Swansea Council.

Tesco is now in the process of drawing up a fresh planning application, but have not released any details.Last month the company denied rumours it wanted to move to Parc Tawe.

John Hughes, manager of the Sainsbury's store, said he hoped the new-look branch would be a hit with shoppers.

He added: "We are glad to be providing our customers with this new improved shopping experience, and everyone is really excited about its transformation."

Casino will help put City on map

2007-02-01T19:49:00.000Z

The big money casino revolution on its way to Swansea should help put it on the UK map, council leaders have promised.

The assurance has come just 24 hours after the authority won its bid for a so-called small casino licence in a big shake up of gaming laws unveiled by the Government.

It means gambling companies will be able to apply to run a casino in the city with up to 80 jackpot machines paying out up to £4,000 at a time instead of the current £2,000 limit.

The winning casino will also be able to open a bookmakers on the premises for the first time.

A decision on where it is going will not come until later this year, although three rival bids are thought to be on the table.

Experts say it is good news for Swansea and will add to its growing leisure and entertainment line-up.

However, there have been fears raised over a rise in problem gamblers and addicts in the county.

Castle ward councillor David Phillips said he was disappointed by the decision adding: "It will inevitably lead to an increase in gambling in the city and the associated social problems that will bring.

"It is particularly disappointing as the details of the council's policy to deal with the associated problems has not been finalised."

But Swansea Council leaders are confident that there are enough safeguards in place to prevent large scale problems.

"And they say it will bring in extra cash to the area as people visit to play at its machines and gaming tables.

Cabinet member for leisure and tourism Gerald Clement said: "I think being the only one in Wales, there is a responsibility on us to make sure that it is a well-run and flagship casino.

"We can assure all those with concerns that we will be robust in our licensing and any possible breaches that may arise.

"Operators bidding for the new licence believe regulated gambling in casinos is safer for punters.

Andrew Herd, head of strategy and development at Aspers casino about to open as part of Swansea's Salubrious Place scheme said: "What we believe is that someone who comes into a casino is safer and better looked after than someone who gambles at home on the internet. Our staff can see if they are inebriated, or if there are other problems and deal with that. At home there may be no one to stop them."

Council leader Chris Holley also backed claims that casinos are a better place to bet than internet sites. He added: "The council would ensure better regulated gambling in Swansea in line with the new Gambling Act, which seeks to protect young and vulnerable groups, ensure gambling isn't a source of crime and disorder and is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.''

Fiona Rees, executive director of Swansea Futures, welcomed the coming of the new casino.

She said: "It is excellent news in terms of raising the profile of the city, and it is a really positive step.

"We were the only place in Wales to be successful, and it highlights the regeneration going on here.

"It helps to put the city on the map, and people who perhaps wouldn't have considered Swansea before will look at us and want to find out more about what we're doing and the opportunities we have to offer."

Claims just aren't true

2007-01-29T23:53:00.000Z

I Refer to the claims of Councillor Chris Holley (Leading council group under extra scrutiny, Post, January 26) that the Labour Group was offered and declined the chairmanship and vice-chairmanship of the scrutiny committee.

This is simply untrue. Mr Holley and his ward colleague Peter Black have been peddling this fallacy since June 2004.

They have been repeatedly challenged to produce evidence of this fiction and have failed to so.While Labour has been very effective in holding the Lib Dem-led administration to account, the truth is that Mr Holley and his colleagues have fought tooth and nail to resist every attempt to give their incompetent administration the greater scrutiny it needs.

Changes are now happening to bring about the "openness, transparency and democracy" that we have been denied for so long. This allows effective challenge of Cabinet decisions, which to date have all been rejected by the Lib Dem presiding officer.

David Phillips
Leader,
Labour Group
Swansea Council

Developer's invest in City Centre's future

2007-01-29T12:36:00.000Z

Developers behind the £9 million rejuvenation of a city centre landmark say Swansea is on the up.They have given the city a vote of confidence and are convinced that the city centre's fortunes are about to be transformed.

Martyn Guess is director of Pearl House Swansea, the company transforming the building on the corner of Princess Way and the Kingsway.

The project will see new flats, costing from £117,500, created along with revamped shop units on the ground floor.Mr Guess said work on the scheme was progressing well and that Swansea was enjoying an investment boom.

Mr Guess said: "The reason we bought it is that we could see the potential of Swansea. I have been coming here for 10 years and I thought something was going to happen.

"With what is happening in the docks, along with all the residential and other developments, the whole place is being regenerated.

"Mr Guess believes the new-look Kingsway and the redevelopment of the former David Evans store would lift that part of the city.

He said: "With all the road works that have been going on, it has been like armageddon down there. But it will be good. That is why we bought the property, the new David Evans and the new retailers will definitely enhance the area. I think making Princess Way narrower will also make it a more intimate shopping area.

"It is a long-term investment and we have essentially created proper living accommodation out of really grotty office space.

"I think the building had lacked a bit of TLC, it had fallen into disrepair."Mr Guess said that work on the scheme was expected to be completed by August and that around half of the 42 flats had now been sold.

He said: "It is going very well. It is a little bit later than we anticipated. The new roof will be on about Easter time. The weather has been a terrible pain. We had about two inches of rain falling in one day recently and that has delayed things. The scaffolding is due to come down by Easter so people can see how the building is progressing.

"Once the scaffolding is down we can start looking at getting tenants in for the shops."Once David Evans is redeveloped, the area can only improve."

Grand plans to draw shops back to centre

2007-01-25T22:08:00.000Z

Ambitious proposals to link the Quadrant and St David's Shopping Centre are being considered by Swansea Council.It is part of a grand scheme to revitalise the city centre and draw big name retailers back to the area.

The St David's Shopping Centre has become an isolated part of the city.And Swansea Council has admitted it is not an attractive proposition to potential tenants.

But it now plans to look at ways of linking it to its more successful neighbour, the Quadrant Centre.

The council is hoping to form an alliance between the companies that own the two shopping centres in a bid to find a new way forward.

It has published a city centre-wide framework looking at how best to develop the area and attract more investment.

The struggling St David's Shopping Centre is seen as a key player in transforming the shape of the city centre.

Phil Holmes, head of economic and strategic development at Swansea Council said: "The framework proposes an exciting new development focusing on redevelopment of St David's and connecting into the Quadrant Centre and creating high quality public squares.

"Breathing new life into the St David's Shopping Centre has been a problem for many years. It used to be home to shops and HTV television studios but more recently many premises have lain empty.

Now the council is hopeful of turning things around.Mr Holmes added: "Both of these properties are in private control and therefore the private sector owners have marketed their property interests.

"In isolation, St David's is not an attractive proposition. However, the framework proposes a significant scheme of a critical mass.

"The difference now is that the council is seeking to form an alliance with the owners of the Quadrant and St David's to market this major development opportunity and create one of the best city centre development opportunities that will be marketed this year in the UK.

"St David's Centre manager Mark Beaumont said the idea of linking the city's two shopping centres was not new but added that he would like to see the plans come to fruition.

"That has been floated for a few years now. People have been talking about it for at least four years, but nothing concrete has happened," said Mr Beaumont."We would definitely welcome it.

"It would be good for us and good for the Quadrant. I'm sure our tenants would appreciate it too."

Digital cameras for City binmen

2007-01-24T21:05:00.000Z

Council binmen in Swansea have been armed with cameras to snap bags of street refuse.The move is part of the fight to clean up local streets.

The waste watchers are snapping pictures of bins and bags of rubbish put out by businesses.It is not known how many crews have been handed the cameras.

But they have been seen taking snaps in the city centre, including Wind Street.Council officers say the pictures are a useful way of monitoring the cleanliness of the streets and can be used to ensure commercial premises have enough bin space.

Last week the Post reported that Swansea Council was preparing to introduce high-visibility litter officers in the city centre, with the power to impose on-the-spot £75 fines.

People dropping all types of litter, including cigarettes and chewing gum, will be at risk of a fine, although an appeal process against prosecution will be available.

CCTV could also be used to trap offenders.The first fines could be handed to litter louts in April. Neighbouring Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot councils already impose cash penalties on those who drop litter.

The digital cameras are the latest weapons in the war on waste in the city.Last October, the council prosecuted Mount Pleasant resident Michael Reeves for putting the wrong kind of rubbish in green recycling bags. The Evening Post sports journalist became the first person in Wales to be taken to court for the offence, and was fined £200.

But environmental activists said they feared the case could discourage other householders from recycling.

A spokesman for Swansea Council said the authority would continue to use the cameras as a tool to help keep city streets clean.

He said: "The council's litter enforcement team regularly inspects the city centre shopping area to ensure it is a clean and attractive place for shoppers. We work closely with city centre retailers and businesses to ensure that issues such as commercial waste are appropriately managed."

Defectors hit power balance in City Council

2007-01-19T19:25:00.000Z

The balance of power has shifted again at Swansea Council.

Newly-installed Conservative chief Rene Kinzett has reportedly clashed with city leader Chris Holley in a power struggle.

Councillor Kinzett had been hoping to strengthen his new group's position on the council but was surprised when told two of his members had jumped ship and opted to remain within the ruling administration.

Long-serving Conservative councillors Joan Peters and Huw Rees have reportedly left the party and joined the Independent group on the ruling coalition.

It comes just over a week after Councillor Peters was replaced as Conservative leader after 12 years at the helm.

Councillor Kinzett pulled the Conservatives from the coalition and formed his own group, but the two veteran councillors have revolted.

The switch means the ruling coalition and Labour now both have 32 members.The Conservative group now has just three members, one less than Plaid.

Tory councillors Kinzett, Paxton Hood-Williams and Tony Lloyd could now lose their roles as scrutiny board chairmen, and the £9,000 bonus they bring.

The revolt also means Swansea Council is delicately balanced with the two major groups tied, but with the coalition holding the casting vote in presiding officer Susan Waller.

How Plaid, the remaining Conservatives and renegade Councillor Ray Welsby vote is still key to pushing the council's plans through.Councillor Kinzett said talks were continuing with the two rogue councillors.

He said: "Councillors Peters and Rees have currently been persuaded to rejoin the Liberal Alliance.

"However, at this current time, the Welsh Conservative group are renegotiating with them to see if there is an opportunity to continue to work together.

"The Welsh Conservatives on Swansea Council had been negotiating with the Liberal Alliance to continue the coalition led by Chris Holley.

"We were disappointed that at the same time as these negotiations were continuing Councillor Holley and his colleagues were conducting talks behind my back, with individual members of my group.

"Even as late as Wednesday afternoon of this week representatives of the Liberal Alliance were calling on one of my group members to switch to the alliance.

"We will continue to pursue our distinctive policy agenda of value for money, lower taxation and accountability and transparency in all council projects.

"The Welsh Conservative group has no intention of replacing this failing Liberal Alliance with any alternative administration.

"However, we will remain committed to holding this alliance to account for their decisions."

Councillor Holley said: "Councillor Joan Peters and Huw Rees wish to remain in the Swansea administration.

"They have approached me and told me that they wish to remain in the administration and, as such, that is what they are going to do.

"They signed up two-and-a-half years ago to do a job and that is what they are going to do."

Neither Councillor Peters or Rees was available for comment.

AM joins plea on speeding

2007-01-19T19:23:00.000Z

An Am has joined calls to cut speeding traffic on a busy Swansea road.

Plaid AM Dai Lloyd has given his backing to the campaign being organised by the Manselton Area Road Safety Action Group.

The group wants a 20mph limit imposed on Manselton Road.

Swansea Council have imposed a go-slow zone on many streets in the area, but have opted for a mixture of traffic calming measures rather than a reduced limit on Manselton Road itself.

Residents have been campaigning for a crackdown on speeding drivers since the death of seven-year-old Vicky Clement.

She was killed yards from her Manselton Road home after being hit by a car driven by Stephen Lewis. The 38-year-old, of Heol Frank, Penlan, was jailed for three years after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

Dr Lloyd said: "The argument is clear - we do not want to see a repeat of that tragic incident.''

Safety battle hotting up

2007-01-18T21:05:00.000Z

Road safety campaigners are continuing to turn up the heat on Swansea Council over an ongoing dispute in Manselton.

Earlier this week spokesman Roy Adams threatened to take the authority to court if there were any more deaths along Manselton Road.

Now Manselton Area Road Safety Action Group has followed up by lodging an official complaint to the council over its highways department's "failure" to drop that road's speed limit from 30mph to 20mph.

The issue surfaced following the death of seven-year-old Vicky Clement, who was killed after being hit by a car being driven along there by Stephen Lewis in September 2005. The 38-year-old, of Heol Frank, Penlan, was jailed for three years after being found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving.

The group has now written to the authority's corporate complaints department."This complaint concerns the council's failure to include Manselton Road within the Manselton 20mph zone," said spokesman Rhodri Griffiths.

Assembly cash could end wait for passengers

2007-01-17T21:05:00.000Z

Swansea's long wait for a revamped bus station could be coming to an end.Council chiefs are expected to hear from the Assembly later this month if they are to get the cash needed to kickstart the multi-million redevelopment of the tatty Quadrant Bus Station.

It would mean work could finally begin this summer.Plans for a new bus station have been in the pipeline for years - and on hold for more than a year while council bosses wait for the cash to be made available by the Assembly.

The authority has planning permission in place and secured a deal for the land the buses use to turn round.But work cannot start until the cash is in place. It last year asked for a £15 million transport grant from the Assembly to help pay for the scheme but got just £6.4 million. It is thought it has asked for a similar sum again now.

Bus users have been calling for the area to be revamped as soon as possible.

It has been labelled dirty and shabby by passengers.Leo Markham, the Swansea-based spokesman for Bus Users UK, said work was long overdue.

He said: "I think it is one of those things that has got to happen. I appreciate the funding problems, but it really has got to happen, and the sooner the better."Mr Markham said the public had been waiting for a long time.

He said: "People have given up on complaining because it is so appalling.

"It is among the worst in South Wales but there are certainly stations that are as bad."Mr Markham said with all the new developments underway in the city, Swansea needed a quality bus station.

He said: "It will bring more people onto the buses."It is not a nice place to wait at the moment, it is quite unpleasant.

When you see new bus stations like those in Bridgend and Wrexham you can see what can be done. They have security, they are light, bright and warm and this encourages people - the Quadrant doesn't.

"But I think the city council have got to be applauded on their tenacity on this. They do realise it has to be done but their hands are tied until they get the money."It is quite an exciting development," he added.

A council spokesman said: "Plans for the redevelopment of the Quadrant Bus Station are well advanced.

"A full detailed planning permission is in place and a public inquiry has been held," he added.

"The council has made a transport grant bid to the Welsh Assembly Government to fund the redevelopment and an announcement is expected later this month.

If funding is approved, the work will begin on site in early summer."

One for the auditor

2007-01-16T10:22:00.000Z

The article by Rob Green (Post, January 6) seems to indicate that it is a good time to pause and look again at the Service@Swansea project. I disagree.

It should have been stopped a year ago. Council staff and opposition councillors were warning them of disaster.

They should have been listened to. From the figures published in the Post, it would appear that £170 million has been spent, £70 million more than estimated, and less than £8 million saved, an apparent loss of £62 million.It would appear from other reports that the revamped leisure centre is now likely to cost more than the Liberty Stadium.

This is political mismanagement on a monumental scale. The district auditor should be asked to conduct an inquiry into these issues without delay.

Derek James
Terrace Road,
Uplands,
Swansea

£75 Fines for littering on cards for April

2007-01-15T23:39:00.000Z

The first £75 fines for littering could be handed out on the streets of Swansea as early as April.

The crackdown will launch in the city centre, where it will be easiest to enforce.

It will then be extended to other areas.High visibility patrol officers will be used to get the litter-free message across.

And CCTV could also be used to track down offenders, said council chiefs.

Neighbouring Carmarthenshire and Neath Port Talbot councils already impose £75 spot fines on litter louts.

Now Swansea wants to follow suit in a bid to clean up the city centre.

The move follows new legislation requiring all local authorities in Wales to sweep clean their roads and pavements of rubbish.

A Swansea Council spokeswoman said: "The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act of 2005 is due to be introduced in Wales in April with amendments to litter legislation."

"The council is working towards the introduction of enforcement officers and the setting of a £75 fixed penalty fine for litter-dropping."

A report is being prepared that will go to our cabinet for approval in due course."Initially, it is believed, fines will be issued by special enforcement officers.

However, it is thought police or PCSOs could be drafted in to help.The authority insists there will be no set targets for enforcement, and plans to introduce high-visibility patrols to act as a deterrent to litter-droppers.

The penalty fine has been fixed at £75, although each case will be dealt with on its own merits.

People dropping all types of litter, including cigarettes and chewing gum, will be at risk of a fine, although an appeal process against prosecution will be available.

A Swansea Council spokesman confirmed that CCTV evidence could be used to trap offenders.

"The new legislation will apply across the whole of Wales," he added."The date of its introduction will depend upon each local authority.

"Its introduction in Swansea in April will depend on whether enforcement procedures are in place."

Negotiations with our partners are ongoing."

Steve Beckham, aged 24, owner of Show Events, which runs hot dog stalls in the city centre, said higher fines should be imposed.

He added: "If you drop litter in Scotland they charge on-the-spot fines.

"If we can't do that here, then maybe Swansea Council should think about increasing the fine of £75 to act as even more of a deterrent.

"There should also be more bins so people can dispose of their rubbish more easily."

Questions to answer

2007-01-09T21:55:00.001Z

So, Capgemini is to be shelved from phase two of the Service @ Swansea project, having cost council taxpayers up to £170 million for both phases to come to fruition.

One thing Service @ Swansea will certainly manage to achieve is a massive rise in council tax bills.

I think this matter should go to the auditor general for scrutiny, as someone somewhere has a lot of questions to answer.

The questions now are who will succeed Capgemini, and how much more is that going to cost?

Chris Powell
Llansamlet,
Swansea

Union blast at Council over incompetence

2007-01-09T21:50:00.000Z

Union bosses have hit out at Swansea Council chiefs after they ditched an IT firm from delivering an all-singing, all-dancing customer service call centre.

Jeff Baker, Unison branch secretary for Swansea, said the decision to pull the plug on Capgemini vindicated council IT staff who walked out in one of Wales's longest public-sector strikes.

Staff were unhappy at proposals to transfer their jobs from Swansea Council to the private IT firm.However, the news that Capgemini will not be involved with the second phase of the scheme to supply a customer call centre could mean jobs are at risk.

Mr Baker said: "Our opposition to this project has been completely vindicated by this decision. What we have been saying since 2004 is that such a large and complicated scheme would not work.

"We are concerned that there must have been millions of pounds spent on consultations with Capgemini.

"The project was designed to replace outdated IT systems and to give people in Swansea a state-of-the-art call centre and a one-stop contact shop in County Hall.

Council leaders have confirmed the call centre work has been put on hold.

Council leader Chris Holley said: "There are significant budget pressures this year and we must cut our cloth according to what we can afford.

"That applies to eGovernment as much as it applies to all the other services we provide."

The deal was pushed through by former chief executive Tim Thorogood and signed off by Bob Carter, another senior manager who has since left the council.

Labour group leader David Phillips says he wants answers.

He said: "I will be asking for both Bob Carter and Tim Thorogood to come back to the council to explain why this has gone wrong so quickly.

"Phase one was supposed to generate £18 million of savings to pay for phase two but they can't even make it break even.

"It was obvious 12 months ago this over-ambitious programme was in trouble. Why has it taken so long to act?

"Just two weeks ago the council was briefing the press claiming everything was on target.

"If that was so, why has it now been cancelled? It's the council taxpayers who are having to fund this incompetence."

AM's pledge for healthy New Year

2007-01-08T11:28:00.000Z

A Swansea AM has vowed to give up using her car whenever possible and walk more instead.Val Lloyd, AM for Swansea East, is urging others to make similar healthy new year's resolutions.

"The key to making new year's resolutions a success is not to make too many and to make them as achievable as possible," she said.

"This year, I will endeavour to walk to more places instead of taking the car. That way, I can get regular gentle exercise, and do my bit for the environment at the same time.

"If each of us makes a commitment to try and change something to benefit our health, we can all contribute to a healthy Wales in 2007."

Pool will open this year, Authority bosses vow

2007-01-06T18:20:00.000Z

Swansea Leisure Centre will be open by the end of this year, council leaders have vowed.

Authority bosses have promised to have the centre open to the public by December - a month earlier than predicted.Work on the project began in July 2005, 18 months after the centre's shock closure.

Fitting out of the building began last year and civic leaders say it is on schedule for a 2007 opening.

Council leader Chris Holley said: "The pool is taking shape and should be completed within months. The rest of the work is going well."I have always said the centre will be open by December and this is still the case."

Contractors are about to start working on adding a huge pod to the leisure centre roof. The futuristic-looking addition will house part of the centre's gym and will have sweeping views across Swansea Bay.

The centre will also include a children's play area, dance studios and a sports hall which will double as a conference facility.

However, the main attraction will be the pool and water rides.Phil Davies, the man in charge of the project, said: "The leisure centre as a water park is something unique for this area. I do not think there is anything comparable in the South West region."It will be a quality product and will have regional and national appeal."

The centre closed unexpectedly in November 2004 following a report into the state of the building.

The Labour administration, which was in charge of the city at the time, decided to close the centre rather than pay a £14 million repair bill. But plans for a completely new centre were dropped by the current coalition administration which decided to rebuild the old leisure centre instead.

Although there are no firm details about the cost of using the centre, council leaders say it will not be prohibitive.

Gym membership is likely to be on a monthly basis and deputy council leader Gerald Clement said other prices will be fair."We realise we cannot price people out of it," he added. "It has got to be competitive, but we also realise that it will be the best facility of its kind in Wales."

Right time to pull the plug

2007-01-06T17:36:00.000Z

Swansea Council is right to quit while it's still (just) ahead.Its ambitious attempt to update the authority's computer systems and transfer some jobs into the hands of a private firm has staggered from one controversy to another.

Since the start, the scheme has been dogged by dispute, disbelief and dismay:

Firstly, council IT staff walked out in one of the longest running public sector strikes to hit Wales over authority plans to transfer jobs to private IT firm Capgemini.

Secondly, the cost of the two-phase scheme rocketed, from £100 million to £170 million.

Finally, estimated savings from the project were scaled back from around £50 million to £26 million, with only £7.4 million of those savings identified as achievable.

Hopefully lessons have been learned and pushing ahead with phase two - with any partner - should now be reviewed.

Pressing the pause button heralds a common sense approach from County Hall and its new chief executive, and is in marked contrast to his predecessor's head-in-the-clouds attitude to local government.

Council's big hi-tech dream hits buffers with pull-out

2007-01-06T17:29:00.000Z

The company brought in to deliver a hi-tech solution for the council to communicate with its customers has been scrapped from the project's second phase.

IT firm Capgemini which helped deliver the first phase of the project has been told its services for phase two are no longer required.

The massive project was designed to replace outdated computer systems and give residents a state-of-the art call centre.

The first phase to replace IT equipment was signed 12 months ago and is worth £86 million to Swansea-based IT firm Capgemini.

However, spiralling costs for the project have put the customer service element in doubt. An out of hours call-centre has been put on hold.

Council Leader Chris Holley said: "Continuing reviews of our option to sign up to a Capgemini-managed phase two have shown there is not a solution that is acceptable to the council.

"That is why it is being recommended we don't proceed with this specific deal."

That is a complete U-turn on comments made two years ago, when the councillor in charge of the project, Mary Jones, described the decision to use the firm as "probably the most significant and exciting decision this council will take for many years".

The scheme has been mired in controversy. Council IT staff walked out in one of the longest-running public sector strikes to hit Wales over plans to transfer jobs to Capgemini.

The cost of the scheme has ballooned, from around £100 million to £170 million for phases one and two.

Estimated savings from the project have also been scaled back from between £30 and £50 million to £26 million. So far only £7.4 million of those savings have been identified as achievable.

Former chief executive Tim Thorogood, who helped push through the project, left Swansea Council before any deal could be signed because of a planning row at his Rhossili home.

The second phase, known as Service @ Swansea was designed to bring massive improvements to services.

Residents were told they would get an out-of-hours call centre and a one-stop shop where they could get all their council inquiries answered in one go.

The customer contact centre will open in County Hall later this year, but plans for the call centre are on hold in what Councillor Holley has described as "a sensible and prudent decision".

When the scheme was being sold to residents Councillor Jones said: "It will mean they can call a corporate call centre and speak to a highly trained member of staff. They'll be able to resolve any number of inquiries on the spot - from housing benefit to booking a sports facility, or paying council tax."

They'll do this by using a new world-class computer system that links all relevant customer information, helping to resolve 80 per cent of all inquiries during the first call."

Labour group leader David Phillips said the scheme had grown out of hand.

"This has been on the cards for ages. From the time the eGovernment was split into phases it has been unworkable.

"This is something that should have been done a lot earlier - how much time and money has been spent on trying to make the unworkable work?

"This also raises a very big question mark about phase two."We have spent millions of pounds of council taxpayers' money, ostensibly to improve the service they get when dealing with the council, but have not improved one thing. It also raises serious questions about the Civic Centre project and whether a one-stop shop will work if we do not have the software in place."

AMs split over council homes transfer move

2007-01-05T18:00:00.000Z

Swansea's Assembly members are split over whether 14,000 council houses in the county should be taken out of council control.

Of six AMs in the region, Plaid's Dai Lloyd and Labour's Val Lloyd are against the proposal. Swansea West AM Andrew Davies did not reply to a question from the Post, but the region's other AMs have all backed the plan.

Council tenants are expected to be given a chance to vote on the future of their homes this year.It could see Swansea Council hand over 14,000 council houses to a non- profit making mutual company called Tawe Housing.

The mutual, which would include council tenants as board members, would be able to raise £190 million more than the council for repairs and improvements.

However, many tenants fear the move would lead to increased rents and a lack of social housing for future generations.

Dr Lloyd said it was the responsibility of government to provide adequate social housing."I am against stock transfer. I believe housing should remain in public ownership," he said.

"Good housing equals good health, and conversely bad housing equals bad health.

"I believe housing is the proper pursuit of government and democratic control, and not subject to the whims of the market."

Councils across Wales have been told they need to improve the quality of social housing to meet Assembly standards.

The total cost of meeting the standard in Swansea is around £370 million but the council would be able to raise only £176 million.

AM Peter Black, who is also a member of Swansea Council's ruling group, said he fully supported the move to transfer homes.

He said: "If we are going to replace defective windows and doors, install central heating in all properties, make houses waterproof and install modern bathrooms and kitchens, the only option is stock transfer.

"Tenants in Bridgend, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Monmouth have already voted for this option for precisely this reason. Swansea tenants should not miss out."

Gower AM Edwina Hart is Assembly Minister for Social Justice and Regeneration. She will be directly involved with the process after tenants have voted and so could not comment specifically.

However, she said: "The Assembly Government has a clear policy objective that landlords should provide tenants with homes to a standard that is appropriate for the 21st Century.

"We require all councils and housing associations to achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2012."

Swansea's Labour AM Val Lloyd said she would prefer an option that would allow the council to raise the money itself.

She said: "I am not a supporter of stock transfer and am in favour of the fourth option, which the Assembly Government and the trades unions also back."

South Wales West Conservative AM Alun Cairns said standards needed to be raised. He added: "Stock transfer can hold the key to empowering local communities, investing in local small businesses and increasing quality of life in low-income housing."

£1M waste as hospital patients block beds

2007-01-04T18:00:00.000Z

A massive £1 million is being wasted in Swansea's hospitals because of the high cost of people blocking beds, new figures have revealed.Health chiefs say the situation has got worse over the past couple of months because of problems finding care home places for elderly patients.

Figures show 85 patients were delayed from leaving the city's hospitals and a total of 43 cases were social care-related.

Bed-blocking is the scenario in which people are stuck in a hospital bed because there is nowhere else for them to go for care.

A total of 3,866 bed days was lost because of the problem, which set Swansea NHS Trust back around £1.1 million.

Finance bosses have revealed one lost bed day costs around £300.The high number of delayed transfers of care has also hit the number of routine operations being carried out.

Finance director David Roberts said the trust was counting the cost of the financial burden deriving from the number of delayed transfer of care cases.

He said: "A lost bed day costs around £300 per day. There were 3,866 lost bed days which cost around £1 million."Findings show the problem is Wales-wide. There are now 754 patients waiting to leave a Welsh hospital bed - a rise of 9.6 per cent in the last year.

Janet Williams, acting director of operations, at Swansea NHS Trust, said the situation around bed-blocking would be monitored.

She said: "Unfortunately, we have seen an increase in the past two months of delayed transfers of care. Delays in social care packages and administrative delays have caused the problems.

"Delayed transfers of care is worrying and something we are paying attention to.

"Patients who have different needs we would move to a community hospital if that is suitable for the patient."

Bailey facing fresh probe

2006-11-21T17:59:00.000Z

Former Swansea Council leader Lawrence Bailey could be investigated by the Local Government Ombudsman over pornographic images allegedly found on his council laptop.

A police report on the claims has been handed to the council which has forwarded it to the ombudsman to see if the councillors' code of conduct has been broken and if any action needs to be taken.

The report follows Councillor Bailey's arrest earlier this year after claims illegal images were discovered on his laptop. After a three month probe detectives said that no charges would be pursued, but that a report on their findings would be handed to the council. If the ombudsman decides there is a case to answer he has the power to refer the matter to the council's standards committee.

It can discipline any councillor found guilty of wrongdoing and suspend them if it feels necessary.Alternatively the ombudsman can pass the matter on to the Adjudication Panel for Wales - an independent body that forms tribunals for dealing with breaches of councillors' code of conduct.

Councillor Bailey was originally arrested in May after concerns were raised about images found on his council laptop. Officers examined the laptop and seized computer equipment from the 51-year-old's Birchgrove home.He was bailed while detectives investigated the claims.

Detective Chief Inspector Peter Azzopardi said in August that the Crown Prosecution Service would not be pursuing any charges against Councillor Bailey.

He added that a report on the police's findings would be referred to Swansea Council to take any action it thought appropriate.

A spokesman for Adam Peat, the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, said that the body did not comment on ongoing investigations and would not confirm if it was looking at Councillor Bailey's case.

Councillor Bailey said today: "I have been advised to make no comment."

Council gets sinking feeling as pool club site loses £65,000

2006-11-20T20:03:00.000Z

Swansea Council has lost out on almost £65,000 after a deal for a controversial city centre site went sour.It means the authority still has a £600,000 problem to solve.

Council bosses sub-let the former Pool Sanctuary site on The Kingsway to Klub Kaos last December.They agreed a six-month rent-free period, worth £25,000, as part of the deal.

But it has now been confirmed the council received hardly any cash from the backers, who were booted out of the site in June.

It means the authority still has to pick up the £60,000-a-year bill.

Concerns were raised over the deal when it was agreed last December.

The Post discovered that the company backing the scheme, Netech Computing, was listed as a residential address in Ipswich.

The council insisted at the time that all necessary checks had been done to protect the council - but a year on the council has missed out on 12 months of rent.

It has also still been unable to find a tenant for the site, in a busy city centre location.The then Labour-run council leased the former pool hall in May 2004 hoping to use it as the new home for an Activa gym, paying £50,000 a year for 10 years.

Two months later the new coalition running the council axed the plans and labelled the site unsuitable.Since then Swansea Council has been trying to find a way of covering the lease.

From July 2004 to September 2006, the site has cost Swansea Council £128,254.Plaid Cymru group leader Darren Price said: "It is of course worrying that the concerns that were raised by many individuals - and the local press - some time ago with regards to the suitability of the company in question have come to fruition.

"The process by which the cabinet took this decision has to be looked at.

"Officers state that the appropriate company checks were carried out but I would argue that those checks were anything but appropriate.

"The council has lost a key opportunity to recoup some of the losses that it has accrued since the decision to lease the pool sanctuary in 2004 with a knock-on effect on council services."

A spokesman for Swansea Council said: "The site remains on the market and some remedial work is being done in order to improve its marketability.

"In the case of Klub Kaos the usual company searches and other financial checks were carried out. The decision to let was approved by Cabinet, based upon the advice of our specialist letting agents.

"The club did not open until January this year - after the Christmas period.

"After it continually failed to pay the rent, to protect the Council's interest, action was taken to take the property back from Klub Kaos in June 2006."

Bad advice cost Council at new stadium

2006-11-18T20:08:00.000Z

Bad advice from external consultants could have led to expensive mistakes being made at Swansea's Liberty Stadium.

A series of recommendations is now set to be implemented following an audit report into the first year of the stadium.

Thousands of pounds was spent bringing in the experts who told leaders in the former Labour-run administration that catering firms should pay for the fit-out and that undersoil heating was not necessary.

However, it became apparent that no firms were willing to stump up the cash for catering equipment.

And after a Swansea City game was postponed because of a frozen pitch, club bosses recommended undersoil heating.

Swansea Council loaned Swansea Stadium Management Company £2.3 million to help pay for fixtures and fittings and also handed over £450,000 to keep SSMC afloat and to pay for undersoil heating.

The £2.3 million loan has since been written off.

Councillor Robert Francis-Davies, who was in charge of the project when Labour ran Swansea Council, said: "I was told I was getting the best advice available, the best external advice."As a councillor, you can only make a decision based on the advice you are given.

"More than £700,000 was lost in the first year of the stadium. Auditors said that figure could have been less if council directors on the stadium's management board had been given more information about stadium accounts.

The report said: "It is possible that some of the losses made by SSMC in 2005/06 could have been avoided if there had been proper management information presented to the board at an earlier stage and on an ongoing basis."

Councillor John Hague, who is also a director on StadCo's management board, said things had changed since the audit report was compiled

He said: "I am happy with information we are being given now and I am happy that the council's investment is being taken care of."

Labour group leader David Phillips said councillors needed more training before being co-opted on to boards of private companies.

He said: "The Liberty Stadium is an undoubted success and nothing will detract from that. But we should not be deflected from learning how things went wrong. I am still not convinced we have identified all the lessons we need to learn."

Notoriety is not deserved

2006-11-15T20:13:00.000Z

Sir, once again we see councillors showing how misinformed they are (Row over plans to move kids home, Post, November 13).

They claim Blaenymaes is a notorious place, crime-ridden and not a place for a children's home.

This may have been true in the distant past. However, the truth is that it is a tight-knit community which has won awards for tackling anti-social behaviour and standing up to louts (many of whom don't live in the area) who blight our community.

Residents, together with the many agencies - such as Police Community Support Officers Constable Barry and Constable Phillips, Gwalia, the 104 Project, Spark, Councillor Gren Phillips and members of the community centre, the ARC, Blaenymaes and Portmead schools, the family centre and the community development team, to name but a few - have ensured that the vast majority of people living in the community have a reasonable quality of life.

Although I agree that looked-after children are the most vulnerable of children in society, I am sure that the professionals working at homes would ensure their safety and ensure that there, residents would not become a nuisance.

Ray Welsby, in saying that Blaenymaes is one of the most notorious areas in Great Britain, is wrong.

Perhaps he should visit a really notorious area, such as Moss Side in Manchester where gun crime and drug gangs have sadly become the norm.

Robin Lowe
Cwm Cadle, Portmead, Swansea

Preparing centre for a big splash

2006-11-14T20:19:00.000Z

This is a sneak peak inside the new-look Swansea Leisure Centre.

Three years to the day since it closed, the Post yesterday got a glimpse of how work to restore one of the UK's most popular indoor attractions is going.Work on the new water park, at the heart of the £32 million project, is beginning to take shape.

Engineers have been busy pouring concrete and shaping the new fun pools. They expect to be finished by the new year when tiling and other work can begin.

Soon after the new slides, features and attractions will be installed.A lazy river, a Master Blaster uphill waterslide, a tipping bucket, wave machine and other attractions are all planned.

Council bosses say work is on time and on budget for completion in December next year.

It is a million miles away from three years ago. On November 13, 2003, Swansea was left stunned when the council announced the centre, which had been closed for a two-week inspection, would not reopen. Public outcry followed and Labour were ousted from power in the 2004 elections.

A subsequent investigation blamed a lack of programmed maintenance for allowing the centre to deteriorate into a dangerous and hazardous condition.

It had been scheduled for demolition until February 2005 when council leader Chris Holley unveiled plans to refurbish the centre.Work to rejuvenate the building is well underway. Council bosses hope to have it up and running by early 2008.

Councillor Holley said the centre was good news for the county.

He said yesterday: "Most of the work so far has taken place in the former pool area and out of the view of the public, but the changes have been dramatic.

"During the past three months the major work such as the piling and concrete reinforcement has been completed. This puts us in a strong position to complete the refurbishment in just over 12 months' time, which is great news for the people of Swansea."

Councillor Gerald Clement, cabinet member for culture, tourism and recreation, said bringing back the centre would have knock-on effects for Swansea.

He said: "It will be a fantastic attraction for tourists and the people of Swansea.

"The new water park, with a network of rides and pools, will be among the best water-based facilities in the country. The new state-of-the- art health and fitness suites will surpass anything currently on offer in Wales.

"We are not merely refurbishing the former leisure centre, we are creating a modern destination which will breathe new life into Swansea.

"Visitors will be able to go to the refurbished leisure centre and the nearby National Waterfront Museum and then stroll along Princess Way to the city centre."

Action needed

2006-11-14T20:17:00.000Z

It has taken just over a year for Stephen Lewis to be brought to court, convicted and sentenced for causing the death of Vicky Clement by dangerous driving (Post, November 11).

During that time, the Manselton Area Road Safety Action Group has been tirelessly campaigning for a 20mph zone to be set up to prevent yet more needless tragedies occurring.

The conviction of Stephen Lewis means that, to a certain extent, justice has been done, although members of the Manselton group would have preferred to have seen a stiffer custodial sentence and a lifetime driving ban rather than a five-year ban.

We also believe that motorists who kill pedestrians should be charged with manslaughter rather than causing death by dangerous driving.

While the process of law has taken effect, the process of making the streets of Manselton safe for children has got nowhere.

Back in April, when I addressed the council at County Hall, our call to establish a 20mph zone in Manselton received the unanimous backing of councillors.

A year after the tragedy, on September 27, we were told that the zone would be in place by the end of October. There is still no sign of work starting.How much longer do the people of Manselton have to wait? How can democratically elected councillors think they can get away with negligence on this scale? How many more serious accidents have to happen before those responsible for the highways department get off their backsides and do something positive to make our streets safe for pedestrians?

Whatever the priorities of Swansea Council may be, it is clear that road safety is not among them.

Rhodri Griffiths
Green Party Assembly Candidate South Wales West region

Ex-Leader cleared in porn probe

2006-08-25T17:03:00.000Z

Former Swansea Council boss Lawrence Bailey has been cleared of allegations he had illegal indecent images on his official council laptop.

The news follows a three-month police probe that involved the detailed examination of a number of computers and other items of electronic equipment taken from his family home. Mr Bailey, a former Lord Mayor, had sent the laptop to the council's IT department for repairs in April. Police were called in by the council on May 4 and he was arrested outside his Birchgrove home the following day.

Mr Bailey had denied any wrongdoing from the outset. Detectives now say they are not pursuing any charges.His legal spokesman said: "We have been advised by police that following a thorough investigation, no action is to be brought in respect of this matter."

Speaking from his Swansea home, Councillor Bailey said he was "obviously delighted" to have been officially cleared of the allegations.

He said: "It was an outcome that was never in any doubt to me or my family during this dreadful ordeal."It is regrettable that things were ever taken so far to start with but I have been advised not to add anything further in order to reserve my legal options in this respect."

As a family, we want to express our gratitude to the police for their courtesy and understanding during their very comprehensive investigation."We also want to thank friends, colleagues and supporters for the many cards and calls we received throughout."

It has been a traumatic three months but our priority now is to get our lives back on track and put the whole matter well and truly behind us."

Mr Bailey has been a councillor since 1983, having joined the Labour Party five years earlier.Detective Chief Inspector Peter Azzopardi, who led the investigation, said the matter had now been referred back to the council."

I can confirm the criminal allegations passed to us by Swansea Council have been investigated and advice sought from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)," he said.

"The CPS have advised there will not be any criminal prosecution in respect of these matters."A report in respect of the findings will now be referred to Swansea Council for their consideration and any action they may feel is appropriate."

A council spokesman said the authority wanted to make it clear there were never any allegations made by the council against Councillor Bailey, who represents the city's Llansamlet area.

He said: "Matters were referred to the police for investigation in order for the police to determine whether any criminal proceedings were appropriate in the circumstances.

"We await the referral of the full report on the findings of the police in relation to this matter.

"This report will be immediately referred to the ombudsman for him to determine whether there has been a breach of the code of conduct for members and for him to consider whether any further action is appropriate."