Plans for almost 140 houses in Aberavon have been unveiled, breathing fresh life into a disused area and boosting the local economy.

Persimmon Homes West Wales has taken the wraps off plans for 137 much-needed new homes at the former Afan Lido Leisure Centre site, on the edge of Aberavon Beach. A planning application was submitted to Neath Port Talbot Council on Wednesday. Opened by the Queen in the 1970s, the Afan Lido was destroyed in a fire in 2009 and the site has been unused since.

Andy Edwards, managing director at Persimmon Homes West Wales, said: “We are very excited about this development, which will revitalise the area will be good news not just for house hunters, but also the wider community. The land has laid derelict since the fire 12 years ago and the re-location of the leisure centre. This will bring the area back into use and give people the opportunity to live in the town, many of which will be first time buyers. It’s an amazing location overlooking the seafront, which itself has seen significant investment in recent years."

“Furthermore, the development will bring a massive boost to the local economy through the construction industry and its multiplier effect. For every £1 spent on housing, £3 goes back into the economy. Each home built also creates 1.5 full-time direct jobs – and at least twice that number in the supply chain. We look forward to working further with the local authority and starting construction on this site.”

Work is expected to start on the three-hectare site in the first half of 2022, with the first homes going on sale shortly after. The development will be made up of two, three and four-bedroom houses, as well as a range of two-bedroom flats.