Electric vehicle charging points are soon being installed in Swansea’s emerging new £135m Copr Bay phase one district as a drive to make the scheme as eco-friendly as possible gathers more pace.
Planting has also begun for the green wall and 1.1-acre coastal park forming part of the development.
Other features of Copr Bay include the use of low-voltage LED lighting throughout the scheme. This includes the LED lights around the outside of the Swansea Arena development, which will be powered by photovoltaic cells on the attraction’s roof. Computer control means the lights can be programmed to integrate with other LED lights within the Copr Bay development.
Copr Bay phase one is being developed by Swansea Council and advised by development managers RivingtonHark.
Construction, being led by Buckingham Group Contracting Ltd, will be complete later this year, with the arena, to be operated by the Ambassador Theatre Group, opening its doors in early 2022.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “Copr Bay will give the people of Swansea world-class facilities like the stunning new arena, but it’s also vitally important the scheme is as environmentally-friendly and sustainable as possible too.
“As well as the electric vehicle charging points soon being installed, Copr Bay will also feature many bike shelters to encourage alternative modes of travel, along with the first new city centre park since Victorian times, adding even more greenery and biodiversity to the area.
“A green roof will also form part of the new apartment building being constructed as part of the scheme, and new greenery has already been planted along Oystermouth Road to improve the look of the area. Rainwater will be collected at parts of the new Copr Bay development too, helping irrigate the plants and other greenery at the new coastal park.”
Cllr Andrea Lewis, Swansea Council’s Joint Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Service Transformation, said: “This is all part of a broader plan to significantly cut our carbon footprint to help realise our goal of becoming a carbon zero city by 2050. As well as the introduction of far more greenery and biodiversity, this also includes all new developments being as environmentally-friendly as possible, which shows how seriously the council and its partners are taking our climate change responsibilities.
“Examples include other living walls being put in place on The Kingsway, as well work soon starting on a cutting-edge new office development at the former Oceana nightclub site that will be zero carbon, once operational. A ‘living building’ is planned to be introduced nearby too, thanks to Hacer Developments, and a private sector consortium, led by DST Innovations, have just announced the hugely exciting £1.7bn Blue Eden project for Swansea that will include a tidal lagoon.”
Both the 71/72 Kingsway office development and the arena feature of the Copr Bay scheme are being part-funded by the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal, which is made up of nine programmes and projects across the Swansea Bay City Region as a whole.
