Swansea city centre is in the process of planning a major redevelopment, which has been backed by the Cabinet, business leaders and design experts.

Sites marked for regeneration include the Kingsway, the Civic Centre and the St David’s, with the aim of transforming the city into a destination with a thriving leisure, culture, retail, office and residential offering.

Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Cabinet Member for Enterprise, Development and Regeneration felt the council had a duty to the people of Swansea to deliver a vibrant, viable city centre.

“I'm more excited about these plans than I have been at any time during my 20 or so years at the local authority,” he said. “The buzz around the city reminds me of the 1980s when lots of positive things were happening in the Maritime Quarter.

“The city centre needs to be a destination that isn't just about shops, but mixes retail, leisure and culture with a high-quality environment with lots of people working and living there to boost vibrancy and give traders the footfall they need."

Proposals were approved for the sale of Oystermouth Road’s Civic Centre, the marketing of Civic Centre and St David’s sites, as well as the consultation on a revised Swansea City Centre Strategic Framework, principle of building a replacement civic building on The Kingsway.

Cabinet Leader for Finance and Strategy Cllr Rob Stewart felt the country is emerging from recession so markets are picking up and a higher level of funding sources are available to tap in to.

“The people of Swansea have waited too long for a city centre they deserve,” he said.

“There's a buzz around Swansea at the moment, but we need to continue to build momentum and confidence. This needs to be about delivery, not just plans. I believe we can and we will deliver."

St David's site is planned to be used for a mixed use development including shops, a new cinema, a public square, restaurants and residential accommodation and a 100,000 square foot office development will be considered for the current St David's multi-storey car park.