Swansea city centre’s emerging community hub Y Storfa is to be the new home of a facility that helps celebrate the region’s industrial, social and cultural heritage.
The South Wales Miners’ Library is the third non-council tenant to be announced for the hub now taking shape in Oxford Street’s former BHS building.
The South Wales Miners’ Library, part of Swansea University and which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, plans to move from its current location in Tycoch, behind the former Hendrefoilan Student Village.
At Y Storfa – being developed now – it will join a range of public services such as the West Glamorgan Archive Service, the main public library and other useful resources.
Non-council services planning to move there include the Swansea office of Careers Wales and the main base of Citizens Advice Swansea Neath Port Talbot.
Council leader Rob Stewart said: “It’ll be great to have The South Wales Miners’ Library as part of Y Storfa.
“It’s a well-regarded custodian of Welsh industrial heritage and will complement the new state-of-the-art archives being created there.
“As with other key schemes – such as The Kingsway, Wind Street and Swansea Arena – we want this new local services hub, which will be home to our new central library as well as other key local services, to offer as many opportunities as possible to the people of Swansea.”
Swansea University Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Boyle said: “We are delighted to have secured a new home for the South Wales Miners’ Library in the regenerated heart of our city, which we hope will encourage even more people to enjoy this important resource.
“As proud custodians of these collections, which offer unique insights into our nation’s industrial and cultural heritage.
“We will work with Swansea Council to ensure that they are housed within an environment which protects and preserves them for future generations.”
The South Wales Miners’ Library opened in October 1973 and houses a unique and internationally important research collection relating to the industrial, educational, social, cultural and political history of South Wales.
It includes the libraries of more than 60 miners’ institutes and welfare halls across the coalfield, pamphlets, posters, an oral history collection and the largest collection of banners in Wales.
Y Storfa, due to open next year, will be a key regeneration project for Swansea city centre, standing between Castle Square – which is due to receive a greener new look – and the new-look, people-friendly Kingsway.
Close to car parks, bus stops and cycle routes, it will offer people convenient access to key services from across the council and other organisations.
It will reinvigorate an existing building, bring together key support services into a single accessible location and boost footfall for city centre businesses.
Some council services to move there will relocate from the Civic Centre that’s in line to be redeveloped as a new city seafront district in a partnership between the council and world-renowned developers Urban Splash.
New homes and leisure and hospitality uses could feature there, along with greenery, public spaces and a new walkway to the beach.
The changes are part of the council’s £1bn regeneration programme that continues to forge ahead.
