One of Swansea’s most historic shopping streets is set to go green.
Woodfield Street, in Morriston, is to undergo greening works by Swansea Council to the value of around £160,000.
It will see the introduction of new trees and granite kerbside planters with low-maintenance planting providing year-round greenery and improving the street’s appearance.
There will be new planters, bench seating and cycle racks. Bollards that are no longer needed will be removed – and new interpretation boards will celebrate the area’s heritage.
The new planting will improve bio-diversity, attract pollinating insects and will absorb pollutants and surface water. It will create a street where visitors will enjoy spending time in a healthier and more attractive environment.
The plan is for local businesses to benefit from improved footfall.
The work comes on the back of a new green roof installation on the Woodfield Street’s Post Office building.
Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said: “We’re making Woodfield Street a more attractive place to visit, shop and spend quality time.
“Attractive, greenery attracts people and increases the time they spend in an area, making them more likely to visit and support local businesses.
“Morriston has a wonderful history – it was one of the world’s most heavily industrialised in the days when Swansea’s copper industry put the area on the global map.
“We want Morriston to have a great future too.”
The council is now regenerating the nearby Hafod-Morfa Copperworks and the lower River Tawe corridor.
The Woodfield Street improvements are being undertaken as part of work by Regeneration Morriston, a partnership group managed by the council and helping to boost the Morriston economy.
Funding has been secured from the Welsh Government Transforming Towns Programme, the council’s nature conservation team and Morriston ward councillors.
Work has started and is due to take place until around April. It will be carried out in a phased manner to minimise disruption to businesses and shoppers. The road will remain open. Local traders have been informed.
Recent successes in Morriston have included a number of initiatives driven by partnership body Regeneration Morriston. They have included a Victorian Christmas event, a weekly employability hub to help people find work and funding for shop fronts and business start-ups.