Baglan Bay

Witford Sands on Baglan Bay

Baglan Bay is on the coast of Glamorgan, a bay formed at the mouth of the River Neath, and a part of the wider Swansea Bay coastline of Glamorgan. The coast of the bay is built up but uninhabited: it is entirely occupied by industrial and commercial developments.

The bay is served by the M4 motorway and the A48 road which traverse the northeastern edge of the industrial area.

History

In the 19th century, coal, tinplate and pottery were exported from Baglan Pill. In 1963 BP opened a petrochemical plant at Baglan Bay, partly to benefit from the proximity of the BP Oil Refinery at Llandarcy, which could supply feedstocks. By 1968, BP Baglan Bay was one of the largest petrochemical sites in Europe, employing 2500 workers at its peak in 1974. However, market changes led to the gradual closure of the facility between 1994 and 2004.

Baglan Energy Park

Baglan Bay power station

Following the final closure of BP's Baglan Bay plant in 2004, the site was re-developed by BP, the Welsh Development Agency and the local council. Baglan Bay power station, a 500 MW combined cycle gas turbine power plant was built and the remainder of the land was earmarked for a 180-acre business park, the Baglan Energy Park. Businesses locating at the park benefit from low cost electrical energy from the power station. Several plots are now developed with tenants or with speculative office and industrial premises available to let.

Awards

Baglan Energy Park won an award for best practice in regeneration at the British Urban Regeneration Association Awards in December 2007, and the Local Government Chronicle and Health Service Journal Sustainable Communities regeneration award in February 2008.

Outside links

• Map: 51.60833 -3.84167
• Baglan Energy Park
• Baglan Bay
• Pictures of Baglan Bay and the area on Geograph.co.uk