Bus Station will be built

As at least one contributor to the Evening Post's on-line comments reminded us, if Labour had been on the ball the new bus station would have been built in 2004. Instead the Administration has been left to pick up the pieces again.

Despite the scepticism shown by the Evening Post today's news is a step forward. The moment that the Labour Transport Minister decided the Council could only have half the money it needed to build the bus station and that it must bring some private cash to the table then a delay was inevitable. After all, no Council can jump those sort of hurdles overnight.

However, what is positive is that the Council is determined to overcome those obstacles and make a start at some stage in the next financial year. The new bus station has been a long time coming, not least because of Labour's incompetence at the start, but it will be delivered.

Moving forward

Although the Insider Outers continue to talk down the City Centre, plans to enhance and develop it continue. In particular, their predicted demise of the new bus station project looks to be premature. The Administration will do everything it can to use the money available to it to deliver this scheme as soon as possible.

We believe that the Evening Post's editorial is also significant. They recognise that yesterday's announcement was not reheated pottage. but a genuine step forward:

The challenge, which the latest framework addresses, is to build upon that success and maintain that momentum. At the heart of the vision is a scheme to link the city centre with Swansea's fantastic waterfront, while at the same time providing desperately needed improvements to that centre.

The framework has correctly identified some of the City's most glaring weaknesses and turned them into development opportunities. This is not the time to let the cynics dominate the debate.

With dozens of property developers lining up to get involved, the future has never looked so bright for Swansea.

Waiting for the bus

Those who have been around in Swansea for some time will recall the kerfuffle when the Bus Station revamp was first mooted. The then opposition sought to call it in because they were unhappy with certain aspects of the scheme, only to be accused of delaying the project. Labour were planning to have it all done and dusted in time for the 2004 Council elections.

It is a bit of a cheek therefore for the Labour spin site to accuse us of not giving the new bus station sufficient priority when they could not even get it off the ground. Most of the available finance has been used up getting possession of the land. Whether the scheme proceeds now depends entirely on the Labour Transport Minister.

Swansea Council has given the bus station top billing amongst new projects. Labour's rules say that existing schemes must come first. On any fair distribution of money the bid of £15.5 million out of a £125 million budget for Wales' second City would be considered modest. The problem is that Labour have put all their eggs in the Rhondda Fach basket.

Will Andrew Davies let his home City down again? We will have to see.

Moment of truth for Minister

Work on re-building the Quadrant bus station has always relied on Assembly transport grant from the moment that the previous Labour Administration conceived the idea. It should be no surprise to anybody, least of all local AM and Transport Minister, Andrew Davies, that the moment has now come to put the Assembly Government's cash where his mouth is.

This is a major plank in the regeneration of the City Centre. Enough money has gone into other, mostly Labour, areas such as Rhondda Cynon Taf. As a Swansea AM, Andrew Davies needs to ensure that his home city starts to get its fair share. It would be about time.