Opco on target for completion of new £1.4m Swansea water sports centre

Swansea’s new water sports centre of excellence is taking shape on the seafront.

Main contractor Opco Construction has now put the steel frame of the building in place on the promenade opposite St Helen’s as works head towards completion by the end of July.

Kite-surfing, kite-buggying and stand-up paddle boarding are among the activities that could feature at the centre.

Swansea Council is supporting the scheme.

The centre will focus on providing a community facility that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. The facilities will include a café, changing facilities, toilets and a multi-function room on site. The centre will also include a state-of-the-art Changing Places toilet for use by people with multiple or profound disabilities – one of the only foreshore facilities of its kind in Wales.

The project is part of a £1.4 million scheme to make Swansea Bay a Water sports Centre of Excellence that’s being funded by the Wales European Funding Office as well as the Welsh Government through Visit Wales and the Regeneration Area programme.

Other projects making up the overall scheme include replacing the existing Council building at Knab Rock with a purpose-built facility that will include public toilets, showering facilities, changing rooms, an office and a tourism information distribution point.

The steel frame of that building is also expected to go up this week in time for an end of July completion.

Opco Regional Director Nigel Coulter says construction work is on schedule at both sites.

He said: “The project is still very much on time and people can look forward to both new facilities opening at the start of August.

“The steel frame of the Knab Rock building is going up imminently and we expect to start fitting a roof on the new waters ports centre opposite St Helen’s this week.”

Iwan Davies, Swansea Council’s Head of Culture and Tourism, said: “These two new facilities form part of an exciting overall master plan that will help Swansea Bay make the most of its outstanding coastal location.

“Further access to top-class water sports will raise Swansea Bay’s profile as a high-quality destination for outdoor activities.”