Councillor John Warman and Mrs Lesley Warman visited the Campus, which opened in September 2015, before stepping down from their civic roles later this week after their year in office.

During the visit, the Mayor and Mayoress toured the Library and The Great Hall as well as the Engineering Quarter and School of Management. They also met Swansea University Students’ Union representatives including President Lloyd Harris, to discuss student life at the Bay Campus.

The Mayor and Mayoress also saw first-hand the construction work underway on the latest development at the Bay Campus, the new £31m Computational Foundry, part of the University’s College of Science, which is expected to be completed in summer 2018.

This transformational development is the next stage of the University’s ambitious plans to expand and develop world-class facilities.  This massive new state-of-the-art centre will house a vibrant and growing community of world-class research leaders drawn from computational and mathematics sciences, who work together with purpose and impact; making Wales a global destination for researchers, students, and industrial partners.

Speaking after the visit, Cllr Warman said: “We were delighted to visit the impressive Bay Campus and we were excited to learn about the latest development at the Campus, the Computational Foundry, and what it will bring to the community of Neath Port Talbot as well as Swansea University and the wider region.

“The Mayoress and I were also very pleased to meet representatives from the University’s Students’ Union and to learn about daily life and study experiences of some of the many students at the Bay Campus.”

Lloyd Harris, President of Swansea University Students’ Union, added: “It was great to meet the Mayor and Mayoress of Neath Town, and to welcome them to the Bay Campus.

“We had a brief chat about what life is like for students who live and study on the Bay. We told them about the plans the Students’ Union has to continue to increase engagement with these students, and our commitment to providing them with the numerous extracurricular opportunities we facilitate.”

Cllr Warman was first elected as a councillor in 1972 to the old Neath Borough Council and was Mayor of the borough in 1988-89. He moved on to the Neath Port Talbot Council and has stayed an elected member since its inception.

Cllr Warman worked in the steel industry for more than 30 years and since finishing in the steelworks he now works as a self-employed researcher.

He has served on a number of important public bodies over the years and was appointed a public member of the Press Council from 1983-89 and was a frequent visitor to Fleet Street to help adjudicate on complaints against the press.

He has also served as a member of the Lords Chancellors advisory committee for the commission of the peace; for six years he was a member of the Health Inspectorate for Wales and a former member of the Office of Water Regulation (Ofwat).

Cllr Warman is currently a director of the United Kingdom Association of Port Health Authorities and is vice chairman of the board. He is also a member of the Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

The outgoing Mayor and Mayoress of Neath Town, Councillor John Warman and Mrs Lesley Warman, visited Swansea University’s Bay Campus this week. During the visit, they met with Students’ Union representatives Lloyd Harris, President; Jack Fossey, Welfare Officer; and Robyn Lock, Sports Officer (all pictured).