How a listed Swansea college, mass student claims and Snoop Dogg’s arrival made headlines

A proposal to convert Mount Pleasant technical college into 18 flats sits alongside a wave of student compensation claims after UCL’s payout and a high-profile visit by Snoop Dogg to Swansea City

Swansea in focus: three local stories that touch planning, higher education and football-fan splashiness.

Overview
– A developer has applied to convert the former Mount Pleasant Technical College into 18 one- and two‑bed flats while keeping the building’s listed character.

– A national legal campaign is inviting current and former students to register potential compensation claims over Covid-era disruption and strike action; the group has already negotiated a large settlement with one university and is now contacting others, including Swansea.

– Rapper and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg made a high-profile first appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium as a listed minority co‑owner of Swansea City, drawing media attention and stirring conversation about celebrity involvement in clubs.

What happened, in more detail

Mount Pleasant Technical College — reusing a listed building
A planning application seeks to change the college’s civic use into residential, creating 18 one‑ and two‑bed flats inside a Grade II listed shell. The proposals emphasise conservation: existing windows are to be repaired, period interior elements such as Victorian‑style coving, skirting and doors reinstated where possible, and features like timber seats and panelling from a third‑floor lecture theatre carefully salvaged and reinstalled. The submission includes a design and access statement and a heritage impact assessment that stresses surviving historic fabric and the building’s connection to the neighbouring grammar school.

Practical implications: listed status raises the bar. The council must consider not just design quality but whether the works preserve the building’s special interest. The developer will need both planning permission and listed building consent, and should expect conditions dictating materials, methods and specialist oversight. Measured drawings, detailed repair specifications, a conservation management plan and contractors experienced in historic work will all strengthen the application and reduce the chance of enforcement action later.

Access and transport: the scheme proposes no car parking but offers basement cycle storage and points to close public-transport links, including High Street station. Officers at pre‑application stage reportedly found conversion acceptable in principle, subject to robust conservation evidence and structural reports.

Student compensation claims — the legal picture
Across the UK, thousands of students have been invited to join a group action known as Student Group Claim. That campaign secured a reported settlement of roughly £21 million with University College London for about 6,500 students and graduates who said their education was materially disrupted during the pandemic. The group has since sent pre‑action letters to 36 named universities and opened wider registration, including students at Swansea.

The legal thrust is contractual: where universities sold and charged for in‑person teaching and campus access but delivered substantially less on‑campus activity or moved teaching online, claimants argue that amounts to a breach of contract. Defences will hinge on what institutions said in marketing, timetables and direct communications, and on records of mitigation or compensatory measures.

What students and universities should do now
– Students: keep and organise evidence — course descriptions, timetables, emails, screenshots of advertised facilities or promises, and records of missed teaching or assessment support. Registering with a group claim preserves options but doesn’t guarantee a payout; seek legal advice before committing.
– Universities: audit marketing material and archived communications from the Covid period, collate timetabling and attendance records, and review fee/compensation policies. Clear records and evidence of proportionate mitigation will be the best defence.

Practicalities and likely outcomes
Group claims typically deduct legal costs from any settlement; a common headline figure is around 35% but arrangements vary. Students can instead pursue internal complaints, the Office of the Independent Adjudicator, or individual litigation — each route has different costs, timelines and evidentiary standards. The current litigation will shape how higher education providers document and justify emergency changes to delivery in future crises.

Snoop Dogg at Swansea City — a celebrity moment
Snoop Dogg, who is listed among the minority co‑owners alongside Martha Stewart and Luka Modrić, made his first visit to the Swansea.com Stadium for a Championship fixture. The club reported a sell‑out crowd of 20,233. On matchday he completed a pre‑match lap, entered the pitch through a guard of honour formed by young Wales internationals, donned club colours, embraced the mascot and engaged with supporters before leaving his seat before full time. Fans were handed complimentary towels in a nod to American sporting rituals, adding to the day’s spectacle.

Overview
– A developer has applied to convert the former Mount Pleasant Technical College into 18 one- and two‑bed flats while keeping the building’s listed character.
– A national legal campaign is inviting current and former students to register potential compensation claims over Covid-era disruption and strike action; the group has already negotiated a large settlement with one university and is now contacting others, including Swansea.
– Rapper and entrepreneur Snoop Dogg made a high-profile first appearance at the Swansea.com Stadium as a listed minority co‑owner of Swansea City, drawing media attention and stirring conversation about celebrity involvement in clubs.0