Developers are being invited to bring top class new public facilities to an under-used seafront site.
Swansea Council is looking for a business to lease the site and to add another leisure jewel to the area’s spectacular coastline.
Any development at the 0.77-acre Langland Bay location will provide leisure and public toilet facilities that would improve services for the public and be sympathetic to the environment.
Potential uses include restaurant, café, shop, gallery, training centre, gym and sports facility.
Money raised through the long lease will be reinvested in council services. No plans have been submitted yet and the planning process will have to be followed.
Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “This is a commercial opportunity in a spectacular leisure destination – a rare development opportunity offering excellent potential.
“A wide range of uses is envisaged for the proposed new scheme, with a strong preference to include new community provision.
“Any scheme must be top class and those operating it will be required to provide, run and maintain new public toilets.”
Langland Bay is a nationally recognised leisure destination with a wide promenade, beachside café, brasserie restaurant, golf club, car parking, homes and iconic beachside huts.
The site for lease is now occupied by the three eastern courts of Langland Bay’s six-court tennis site. They have been under-used for many years.
The council is in the process of agreeing a lease – at peppercorn rent – for Mumbles Community Council to manage the other three courts. They are being refurbished by the community council.
The site, in the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, also features a St John Ambulance base. A new lease can be agreed with St John. The neighbouring Langland Bay Lifeguard Club is not part of the site.
Cllr Francis-Davies said: “The public continually tell us that there should be more facilities for them along the seafront. They regularly mention attractions such as coffee shops, restaurants and other leisure facilities.
“Business is clearly of the same opinion as we had enormous interest when we marketed the lease of the former 360 beachfront café two years ago.
“Last year, a public consultation exercise asked members of the public and local organisations what type of considerate development they thought would maximise the potential of this Langland Bay site to best serve future generations.
“The feedback has been carefully considered and now, before anything comes to fruition, there will be the normal rigorous planning process. We want something in keeping with the immediate local environment – so no high-rise developments.
“The development will help Langland Bay become even more of an attraction, maintaining its beauty and environmental integrity. We want to enhance and protect what we have so we really want businesses that are sympathetic to this glorious bay.
“We want another jewel to attract, entertain, retain and employ people. The lease will also help the council to cover major losses in central government funding.”
The site is being marketed by land and property consultants BP2 on behalf of Swansea Council.
