Coronavirus: Swansea's Wind Street residents' lockdown 'bliss'

Wind Street residents Stuart Fender, Ann Allen and Stan Robinson would like to see more of a cafe culture on Wind Street

People living on one of Wales' busiest late-night streets have said lockdown has been "bliss" and would like to see a permanent change.

With a mix of bars, restaurants and takeaways, Swansea's Wind Street is a big draw for revellers.

Amid the licensed premises are 49 flats in the Hen Llys complex and a smaller block near Victoria Road.

Council leader Rob Stewart said: "We work closely with the police to try and ensure the area is enjoyed safely."

However, Stan Robinson, chairman of Hen Llys residents' association, said prior to lockdown some residents had felt trapped in their own homes on weekends with the late-night crowds.

Wind Street in Swansea is one of Wales' busiest night spots

"Some of them are in wheelchairs or on a scooter," he said.

"They were too scared before. They'd see police vans, police horses, and bouncers who looked like they'd just finished a tour of Iraq."

'Windows don't vibrate'

"Now it's bliss," local resident Stuart Fender said of the area during lockdown.

"My windows and walls don't vibrate with music," he told the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Mr Robinson said the street had become a different place to the one envisaged when people moved into the flats in 2002.

He said they were told it would be a "cafe-restaurant quarter" with a European feel.

"If you paint a picture and people believe in that picture, then keep that picture," he said.

Swansea Council said last year it was investing £2m to create more of a pedestrian-friendly cafe culture in the area.

"If Mr Robinson has chosen to live in Wind Street then he must expect there to be impacts from the night-time economy," Mr Stewart added.