How Swansea’s regeneration is building more than just new homes
How Swansea’s regeneration is building more than just new homes
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This month’s theme is construction. I have to admit, my first thought when I was told this was, “Great, what do I know about construction?” Sure, I could share some amusing anecdotes about my time working in the industry as a materials technician in North Wales about 20 years ago (including one about me in a radioactive van), but that’s about it. So, I poured myself a coffee, leaned back in my chair and started to rack my brain for a suitable thread I could pull to eke out an article.
It was then that the fly-through on the Invest in Swansea website caught my eye as it displayed on our office screen, and an idea was born.
Swansea is going through major regeneration. Billions are flowing into the city from the City Deal, the council and private investors. If you head to investswansea.com, you can see the fly-through and the amount of work still to come, as well as what’s already been done.
Regeneration isn’t all about fancy new arenas and tourist facilities; it’s also about homes. There are over a thousand new homes currently being built around the city, whether new builds or repurposing existing buildings in the city centre. In total, that’s creating thousands of jobs across all aspects of the construction trade, and a lot of our local trades are benefiting from that work.
Last week, the Swansea.com Stadium hosted the Welsh Construction Show. I wasn’t able to attend this year, but by all accounts, it was buzzing. There were over 50 exhibitors, and hundreds came through the doors. The importance of the construction industry to the local economy is summed up by that list of exhibitors. There were representatives from industries such as finance, training, legal, motoring, communications, IT, hotels and logistics, all alongside the exhibitors you’d expect at a construction show — Sell2Wales, building suppliers, health and safety consultants and contractors themselves. As business owners, we all know that these shows can be a commitment of resources — the staff on the day, the cost of the freebies and roller banners, along with the cost of the stand in the first place. It’s a testament to the event that a lot of companies have stands year after year, which means they are getting a decent ROI. This event alone shows the strength and importance of the industry in the city.
When we see the major projects going on, it’s easy to forget the smaller contributions that the construction industry makes to the city. A house extension here, a rewire there — all these smaller jobs (although to those having their house rewired, it isn’t a small job) add to the economy. The majority of the firms doing these jobs can pivot very quickly from a small house extension to building 30 homes. All they need are skilled people — and with the right people, companies can go far.
Over the last few years, for example, I have watched a friend’s company grow from him and two boys in a van to eight vans, 25 sparkies and an office team to manage it all. The vast majority of his work is in Swansea. That’s seven vans bought locally, 25 extra wages heading into our local shops, and all the kit he needs for his jobs is bought from local suppliers. So whilst he may be working on larger national contracts, the financial benefits are seen locally. It can be said that the positive effects of a regeneration project begin long before the doors open — thanks to the construction industry.
Anyway, back to me in this radioactive van driving through the centre of London…
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