£11.4m Programme Boosts City Centre Housing and Commercial Space
Dozens of new city centre homes are being created with the help of Swansea Council funding support.
They are part of an £11.4 million, two-year programme delivered by the council to boost homes and commercial spaces. More than £7 million of the funding came from the Welsh Government Transforming Towns scheme, with £4.3 million coming from private investment.
The grants and loans have also helped bring new homes to other Swansea locations, the council said.
Council cabinet member Robert Francis-Davies said:
'As Swansea's £1 billion regeneration continues at pace, it's great to see us helping deliver new homes for private individuals and families.
'This is bringing more life to key retail areas, meaning new opportunities for businesses.'
City centre buildings with new homes – above existing or new commercial premises – include: 1-3 Dillwyn Street – nine apartments at and next to the former Singleton Hotel
86 High Street – nine apartments above the ground floor at the former White Swan pub
19 Kingsway – two apartments on the upper floors
22-23 High Street – six new apartments on the upper floors above new commercial space
263-265 Oxford Street and 9 Portland Street – 11 new apartments on upper floors above the new Principality Building Society branch
266-267 Oxford Street – 10 new apartments on the upper floors above Shoezone
61 Kingsway and 26 Park St – six apartments on upper floors above ground level
2 Castle Gardens – nine apartments on the upper floors above the former XP Gaming
A similar transformation is taking place at Morriston's former St Johns Church, with four apartments.
Developer Jordan Evans, of Sixx Group, said:
'Swansea's city centre is undergoing real transformation, and we see strong potential in delivering high-quality homes in such a central, connected location.
'Converting the former Singleton Hotel into nine contemporary apartments is both a commercially sound investment and a meaningful contribution to the city's regeneration.
'By repurposing a well-known building, we're adding long-term value to the area while meeting the growing demand for modern, city-based living.'
Developer Suki Kullar, of Kullar Property, said:
'The redevelopment of the former White Swan into nine high-quality apartments and three commercial units is a key step in bringing life back to this part of High Street.
'Projects like this are essential to regenerate the city centre and to create much-needed homes and local business opportunities.'
Developer Nick Founds, of Trinity Landmark, said:
'The regeneration of the Kingsway over recent years has transformed the area; it's been the catalyst for a number of larger projects including 71/72 The Kingsway and the Coppergate student complex.
'We're excited to redevelop 19 The Kingsway. This will provide a contemporary building with a commercial unit on the ground floor and two large executive apartments on the upper floors. There'll be secure parking.
'The property is in a prominent position; we hope to bring this corner of The Kingsway back to life and to make a positive impact on the area.'
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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Wetherspoons boss takes on pub giant after being sacked
Peter Castagna-Davies had worked at JD Wetherspoon for 22 years but was unfairly dismissed from his role after authorisation a 50% discount on food for a kitchen worker A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager who was sacked for allowing a colleague a 50% food discount has won an employment tribunal, with a judge ruling he was unfairly dismissed. Peter Castagna-Davies had worked at the company for 22 years and had been shift leader at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, Wales when he was sacked for allegedly breaching company policy. The pub boss gave kitchen worker Noah Gardiner the half-price discount as he put the items - two portions of halloumi fries, two portions of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink – through the till. With the company "cracking down" on discounts offered to staff at the time, an internal investigation found he had breached policy by allowing Mr Gardiner to buy "excessive products" at the 50% rate and to take the food home, reports Walesonline. The Cardiff employment tribunal heard that just minutes before Mr Castagna-Davies authorised the order on January 31 last year, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to process another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to fire Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50% on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." At the time the chain had internally circulated rules stating only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees on a shift. Extra items could be purchased with a discount of 50%, while food being taken home would get a discount of 20%. Wetherspoon's witnesses said during the tribunal that there had been "a crackdown on the 50% discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They claimed the business had suffered "significant" costs, which led it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". The transaction approved by Mr Castagna-Davies was flagged by Wetherspoon's IntelliQ system, which is used to flag potential staff fraud. Pontlottyn manager Sarah Newton had told the shift leader "mistakes happen" but that he should be careful because the company "really were cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies responded that he was disappointed in himself for the mistake. An investigating manager, Keri Blanchard, interviewed Mr Gardiner, who said he had cooked the food himself. Asked if he had eaten his initial free meal on-site, he replied: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more.' He then admitted he had taken home the items put through by Castagna-Davies. When he was interviewed about the incident, Castagna-Davies admitted he may have mistakenly "pressed the wrong button" in applying a discount of 50% rather than 20%. He denied being aware Mr Gardiner planned to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed the shift leader without notice despite his clean disciplinary record over 22 years. He cited Wetherspoon had been "vigorous" in communicating its zero-tolerance approach. Mr Castagna-Davies argued via four witnesses that Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". But Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens upheld the dismissal, telling him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal Judge Rachel Harfield concluded it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this was a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge added: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A payout is yet to be decided. Judge Harfield encouraged the parties to attempt a settlement before a remedy hearing takes place.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Wetherspoon manager sacked after giving discount on pub's halloumi fries
Wetherspoons manager Peter Castagna-Davies was fired from the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, South Wales, after he put the items through the till for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager has triumphed in an employment tribunal after being sacked for giving a colleague a 50 per cent food discount. Peter Castagna-Davies was shown the door from his shift leader role at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery, Wales, despite having a spotless record for more than 22 years. Mr Castagna-Davies had rung up two portions of halloumi fries, two servings of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner, applying the half-price discount for staff on shift. An internal probe concluded that he had violated policy by letting Mr Gardiner purchase "excessive products" at the 50 per cent rate and take the food home. The Cardiff employment tribunal was told that Mr Castagna-Davies was unaware that just two minutes before he approved the items, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to get another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to sack Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50 per cent on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break," reports Wales Online. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." Two months prior to the unfortunate discount incident – which occurred at 8.04pm on 31 January 2024 – the pub chain had internally circulated rules stating that only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees during their shift. Staff wishing to add extra items could purchase them at half price, and if they wanted to take food home, the discount would be limited to 20 per cent. Sarah Newton, the manager of Pontlottyn, had messaged the pub's employee group chat saying the company was "cracking down" because staff at other pubs had been taking multiple 50 per cent orders home. She cautioned that there had been instances where misuse of the discount had led to disciplinary investigations. During the tribunal, Wetherspoon's witnesses stated there had been "a crackdown on the 50 per cent discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They alleged that the business had incurred "significant" costs, which prompted it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". Wetherspoon utilises a system called IntelliQ to flag potential staff fraud. A week after the discount was approved by Mr Castagna-Davies, the system raised an alarm over the transaction. Ms Newton told him "mistakes happen" but warned him to be careful as the company was "really cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies expressed disappointment in himself for the error. Keri Blanchard, an investigating manager, interviewed Mr Gardiner who claimed he had prepared the food himself. When asked if he had consumed his initial free meal on-site, he responded: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more." However, he then confessed that he had taken home the items processed by Mr Castagna-Davies. When questioned if he had requested a 50 per cent discount, Mr Gardiner stated: "I just asked for someone to put it through." During his interview, Mr Castagna-Davies claimed he couldn't recall the transaction but suggested he might have accidentally "pressed the wrong button", applying a 50 per cent discount instead of the usual 20 per cent. He denied knowing that Mr Gardiner intended to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed him without notice. Despite acknowledging Mr Castagna-Davies' unblemished disciplinary record over 22 years, he highlighted Wetherspoon's "vigorous" enforcement of its zero-tolerance policy. He also suspected that Mr Castagna-Davies knew the food would be taken home, stating it wasn't "normal for staff at the pub to eat that much food during their breaks". During an appeal, Mr Castagna-Davies presented evidence from four witnesses to contend that Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". However, Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens maintained the dismissal, informing him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal, Judge Rachel Harfield observed "the staff discount system is one built on trust" and that repeated abuse would prove expensive to Wetherspoon. Yet she determined it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this constituted a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge further stated: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A compensation amount has yet to be determined. Judge Harfield urged both parties to seek an agreement before a remedy hearing occurs. The Mirror has contacted Wetherspoon to ask whether it will be reassessing its disciplinary procedures following the judge's conclusions.
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- North Wales Live
Wetherspoon manager sacked for allowing discount for staff member at Welsh pub
A former JD Wetherspoon pub manager has won an employment tribunal after the chain sacked him for allowing a colleague a 50% food discount. Peter Castagna-Davies - who had 22 years of unblemished service at the chain - was dismissed from his role as a shift leader at the Pontlottyn pub in Abertillery. Mr Castagna-Davies had put the items – two portions of halloumi fries, two portions of chicken breast bites, and two cans of Monster energy drink – through the till for kitchen worker Noah Gardiner and applied a half-off discount for shift staff. An internal investigation found he had breached policy by allowing Mr Gardiner to buy "excessive products" at the 50% rate and to take the food home, reports Walesonline. The Cardiff employment tribunal heard Mr Castagna-Davies had not been aware that two minutes before he approved the items, Mr Gardiner had used a different manager's till key to process another free meal for himself – chicken breast bites and a can of Monster Punch. Wetherspoon's disciplinary chairman Chris Jenkins decided to fire Mr Castagna-Davies, telling him: "Shortly before you processed Noah's 50% on-shift discount he had processed through the till his own staff feeding meal, some two hours after his break when he had consumed it, which you had no knowledge of him doing so or even going on his break. "I find this both worrying and surprising that, as the duty manager with so few staff to manage on the shift in question, you had no knowledge or control over what was going on." Two months before the ill-fated discount – which happened at 8.04pm on January 31, 2024 – the chain had internally circulated rules stating only one item from the food menu and one soft drink were available for free to employees on a shift. Employees wishing to add extra items could purchase them at half price and if they wanted to take food home the discount would only be 20%. Pontlottyn manager Sarah Newton had messaged the pub's employee group chat saying the company was "cracking down" because staff at other pubs had taken multiple 50% orders home. She warned there had been cases when use of the discount had led to disciplinary investigations. In the tribunal, Wetherspoon's witnesses said there had been "a crackdown on the 50% discount because staff had been caught taking food home to feed their whole family". They claimed the business had suffered "significant" costs, which led it to adopt a "corporate zero-tolerance attitude towards abuse of the staff discount". Wetherspoon uses a system called IntelliQ to flag potential staff fraud. A week after the discount was approved by Mr Castagna-Davies, the system flagged concern over the transaction. Ms Newton told him "mistakes happen" but that he should be careful because the company "really were cracking down on it". Mr Castagna-Davies responded that he was disappointed in himself for the mistake. An investigating manager, Keri Blanchard, interviewed Mr Gardiner, who said he had cooked the food himself. Asked if he had eaten his initial free meal on-site, he replied: "I should've yeah, I don't take food home any more." But he then admitted he had taken home the items put through by Mr Castagna-Davies. Asked if he had requested a 50% discount, Mr Gardiner said: "I just asked for someone to put it through." When Mr Castagna-Davies was interviewed he said he could not remember the transaction but that he may have mistakenly "pressed the wrong button" in applying a discount of 50% rather than 20%. He denied being aware Mr Gardiner planned to take the food home. Mr Jenkins dismissed him without notice. Although he acknowledged Mr Castagna-Davies' clean disciplinary record over 22 years, he pointed out Wetherspoon had been "vigorous" in communicating its zero-tolerance approach. He also believed Mr Castagna-Davies had known the food would be taken home as it was not "normal for staff at the pub to eat that much food during their breaks". In an appeal, Mr Castagna-Davies drew on evidence from four witnesses to argue Mr Gardiner "had ordered the food in a deceptive way". But Wetherspoon area manager Dannie Stephens upheld the dismissal, telling him he had "failed to lead, manage and organise your shift sufficiently to prevent the breach". At the tribunal, Judge Rachel Harfield noted "the staff discount system is one built on trust" and that regular abuse would be costly to Wetherspoon. But she concluded it was not reasonable for Ms Stephens to conclude this was a case of "gross incompetence or gross negligence, as opposed to being simple negligence that falls within the misconduct category of the respondent's policy". The judge added: "There is no evidence that Dannie Stephens gave any thought to that at all. She seems simply to have operated on the basis that the claimant should have managed the shift better, that if he had done so the breach would not have happened, therefore the claimant should be held responsible for the breach, and it was possible under the policy to dismiss for a single act. "There was no weighing of the actual seriousness of the claimant's actions in their actual context. Dannie Stephens seemed to have viewed the claimant as diligent in other areas. It was one incident on one shift that he could have managed better. He was an employee with long service and a clear disciplinary record. The decision to uphold the dismissal at appeal stage was not within the reasonable range. In my judgement that rendered the whole dismissal unfair." A payout is yet to be decided. Judge Harfield encouraged the parties to attempt a settlement before a remedy hearing takes place. WalesOnline has asked Wetherspoon if it will be reviewing its approach to disciplinary matters in light of the judge's findings.
