The sale of the Old Highways Depot at 37 Pontardawe Road, Clydach will take place on Thursday, October the 29th at Allsops Auction, Wigmore Street, London. This site is next to the 110 yard buried section of the Swansea Canal which both our society and the Canal and River Trust wished to restore. We both had great hopes that the City and County of Swansea would not sell the depot but forge a Joint Partnership with CRT to develop the land and restore the canal (and the lock that is also buried there) as a flagship regeneration project which would have completely transformed the area and brought it economic benefit. The CCoS have, however, decided to sell to the highest bidder.

We understand their reasons but think that they are wrong. We are grateful to them for protecting the whole route of the buried canal which is not included in the auction sale. The route of Sustrans National Cycle Path 43 which Sustrans lease off the CCoS is also safeguarded. A further 3.5 metre strip from the edge of the old canal is now also protected from development by the contract of sale. All these measures mean that the canal will not be adversley affected and restoration will still be possibe if and when funds are available. However, we have no idea who will buy this site. It may be a developer from anywhere in the UK who has no interest in the area or its community. It may be left undeveloped for years. Once this site is sold, the possible restoration of the canal here may be put back many years.