Swansea Council has secured planning permission for 10 motorhome bays at Fabian Way park and ride, on the eastern outskirts of the city. Visitors will be able to book a maximum stay of 96 hours in a designated area in the middle of the park and ride.
Facilities and conditions
A water supply and a drainage facility will be provided, but no electric hook-ups are planned. New planting and landscaping is proposed, though no new lighting will be added.
Five or six motorhome bays will be created initially, with occupancy monitored before a decision is made on the remainder, according to council planning documents.
Visitor economy boost
A tourism needs assessment submitted by the council said motorhome trips were an important part of the visitor economy and that more short-stay locations were needed on top of one which operates at Swansea Marina.
“Fabian Way park and ride is well suited to this role,” it said. “The proposal will also improve the visitor experience by providing clear arrival procedures, managed parking, waste disposal and access to existing public toilets and recycling facilities.”
Guests could quickly reach destinations such as Gower, Mumbles and hiking routes in the Upper Swansea Valley. The marina and neighbouring SA1 are within walking distance, cycling routes connect from the park and ride, and the Skyline Swansea adventure park on Kilvey Hill will offer another option once built.
Impact on parking capacity
The motorhome bays, fire buffer zones and service area will take up 84 spaces, reducing the overall number of park and ride spaces to 413. The park and ride was only 19% full on average during 2025-26, a slight drop from the previous year, meaning there would still be plenty of parking capacity.
The planning approval came with four conditions, including around drainage and landscaping. The economic impact of tourism in Swansea last year was £696m, according to a modelling method used by the industry called Steam (Scarborough tourism economic activity monitor).
