The amount and value of land owned by Carmarthenshire and Swansea councils has been revealed.

Carmarthenshire Council has 16,019 acres of land on its books, worth just over £113 million. And it has been expanding its portfolio, spending more than £7 million on new acquisitions in 2017/18.

The most costly purchase was the £2.1 million it paid for land for the new Carmarthen West link road, which it said should be finished by the end of year following a hold-up.

Swansea Council owns 6,071 acres of land which, along other authority-owed assets such as buildings and council houses, is worth £1.3 billion. But the council only acquired one new asset last year — a property in Pontarddulais worth £300,000.

At the same time council chiefs sold assets worth £4.5 million, including the former Four Seasons Club, Trallwn, and Beeches Day Centre, Uplands.

Carmarthenshire Council sold assets worth £1.6 million in 2017/18, including Tegfan Care Home, Ammanford, and land and buildings at Black Lion Caravan and Camping Park, Cross Hands.

The figures follow a Freedom of Information request. A spokesman for Swansea Council, which is facing another year of cuts to balance the books, said it was more important than ever to make the best use of its assets.

He said: “Selling property the council no longer needs like, for example, the former Cwmbwrla Primary School, also helps reduce maintenance costs which can be re-invested back into services.

“At the same time, we have a strategic investment strategy, where we acquire new commercial property which will give us a strong financial return.

“Financial returns from both these areas will be reinvested to support services like education and social care.”

He added: “At the moment the council is looking to sell some ‘targeted’ assets to support the Swansea Central phase of the regeneration of the city centre and 21st century Band B schools.

“In addition the council generates income through leasing out its property, a recent example being the lease agreed with Swansea City for the Liberty Stadium.”

A Carmarthenshire Council spokeswoman said work on the Carmarthen West link road would restart this week. This followed the need to acquire 26 parcels of land to ensure the completion of the road, which will serve S4C’s new headquarters and a new development of 1,100 houses.

The Welsh Government stepped in earlier this year, agreeing that the council could proceed with a compulsory purchase to acquire the land. Negotiations have been under way between the council and landowners, and contractors Alun Griffiths Ltd have now been instructed to crack on with the road scheme.

A planning agreement, which will release £2.4 million of funding towards the project as part of the planning permission for 250 houses, has also been signed off.

Councillor Hazel Evans, executive board for environment, said: “This is a huge transport scheme that will improve the road network and complement a number of key development schemes in the pipeline for Carmarthen West.

“We’re delighted to instruct our contractors to proceed with works.”

Council leader Emlyn Dole added: “This development brings a significant economic benefit to the county, not only in terms of the employment opportunities it creates in the construction phase, but in opening up new links for business in the long term.”