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Detailed response to the plan proposed at https://porthcawlwaterfront.co.uk/
Better Porthcawl, James Street, Porthcawl CF36 3BG. The letter below, from Better Porthcawl, represents comment from a number of individuals involved in community groups in Porthcawl, who come together to share opinion, comment and ideas in response to the ‘Porthcawl Waterfront Development’ consultation phases, organised by the Planning Department of BCBC. We do not speak for the whole of Porthcawl.
20/2/2025
Dear Sirs,
Re: Regeneration of Porthcawl Waterfront – Masterplan Consultation
I am writing on behalf of Better Porthcawl in response to the development consultation for the Regeneration of Porthcawl Waterfront. We have reviewed the masterplan and would like to share our feedback, suggestions, and concerns as part of the consultation process.
We have a unique and precious landscape, we have the sea, we have a surfing community, many local artists (painters, writers, musicians), a 200-year history. The plan needs to recognise and understand the importance of local culture to any community and reflect the uniqueness and distinctiveness of Porthcawl.
We feel uncertain regarding the vision and mission as currently expressed. What we seek is development that confirms our historical and new identity. In this way the Masterplan lacks ambition and future thinking, failing as it does to utilise our rich cultural and artistic present. Porthcawl ‘s focus should not be as a dormitory town for the future.
Masterplan Vision
We believe the masterplan vision does not place enough emphasis on Porthcawl as a destination, for locals in the surrounding county, for day visitors from further afield and indeed for domestic holiday-makers. We believe there is too much emphasis on housing and while we recognise the need for housing, particularly for first time buyers, this should not come at a detriment to the town as it is now.
We note the plans include provision for a hotel near the harbour, subject to a suitable operator being found. The inclusion of a hotel in this location could serve as a significant draw to the town. With the potential addition of a spa, gym and even a pool the hotel could cater to both residents and tourists alike, which would in turn support other local businesses through increased visitor numbers. Porthcawl should aim to become a modern destination attracting tourists interested in surfing, arts (i.e. the Grand Pavilion, following its ongoing redevelopment), walking, golfing and other outdoor activities. Our vision is for Porthcawl to be a place that everyone in the borough and from further afield can come to enjoy.
Open Space
We believe that significant open space on the Salt Lake area of the development is vital, both for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. This sentiment has been reiterated numerous times by various parties as part of previous consultation exercise. Following the consultation on the ‘Placemaking’ exercise, BCBC announced that an area the size of two football pitches would be made available on Salt Lake as open space. The subsequent ‘Open Space’ consultation, both BCBC representatives and the consultants were very excited about the prospects for the area, as were the town’s representatives who were involved in the consultation. This now appears to have been significantly watered down, with more housing favoured.
We note that significant areas of the open space are now situated within the curtilage of the apartments proposed for Salt Lake. While we recognise the importance of private dwellings having access to private amenity space, this should not come at a cost to the total area proposed for public amenity space.
The inclusion of a splash park, pump track, and Griffin Park extension are all positive additions. Furthermore, we welcome the proposed inclusion of an outdoor concert or performance area which we feel would enhance the town's appeal.
We question, however, if these activities are sufficient and would comment that it is vital to retain open areas that could be developed in future into other leisure uses such as a lido or leisure centre, subject to appropriate future funding being sourced. These areas could be retained as parks for now, prior to any future development.
Housing
The proposed 1,100 houses are concerning due to the overall number of units and the high density and building heights.
Following the previous ‘Placemaking ‘exercise, the total number of planned residential units was reduced from 1,100 to 1,000 due to a reduction from 300 to 200 on Salt Lake. We now note that this number has increased to 450 homes.
We believe there is significant opposition from residents regarding housing on Salt Lake. However, we also recognise that there is a viability issue for the overall redevelopment and a need locally for new housing.
While we appreciate that the plans are not yet finalised, at a proposed 6 storeys high these structures, particularly on Salt Lake, appear massive and overbearing, not in keeping with Porthcawl's character. Porthcawl is a predominantly two to three storey town and the new structures appear more in keeping with a city regeneration than a seaside town.
A tiered approach to the new building with mixed heights and fewer storeys overall would be more appropriate. Ensuring high-quality design and a zero-carbon approach is also vital if we are to stop housing contributing negatively to the climate emergency. We would draw your attention to the recent widespread damage in the town caused by Storm Darragh and would comment further that any new buildings should be capable of withstanding the sometimes severely inclement weather that Porthcawl can experience due to its exposed position.
The groups note the proposal for 50% affordable housing, presumably across a range of tenures and would welcome the opportunity for young people to be able to stay in the town and afford a place of their own. However, we also believe that attention should be given to housing for older residents, who may wish to down-size from their existing homes and move into well managed, quiet apartments in their later years.
Given the large areas of outdoor communal space proposed on Salt Lake and on Sandy Bay, we would advocate for a managed and tenure-blind approach to the proposed housing, to foster integrated communities.
While we realise that sewerage and water treatment for the site will ultimately fall to Welsh Water, we would also comment that this needs to be robust enough to handle the new development. Unfortunately, knowing the amount of sewage that already gets into the waters around Porthcawl via the Ogmore River, we would expect to know that improvements will be part of any additional housing, so that the public can enjoy the local beaches without fear of getting ill.
Leisure & community space
A centrally located hotel is essential and should be a key attraction. Porthcawl should not just be a commuter town by the sea but a destination that draws visitors. Whilst we appreciate that visitors arriving for outdoor attractions would, in the majority, occur in the warmer months, we also note that additional facilities such as conference space or the use of the hotel as a wedding venue could draw people in throughout the year. The hotel spa & leisure facilities could also be used by local residents, which would also help the viability though the winter months.
Now that the fairground is closing, additional attractions for all ages, including play areas and indoor and outdoor activities, are also necessary to continue to attract visitors to Porthcawl.
The retail, coffee shops, and restaurants should be affordable for tenants and aim to attract both smaller, independent businesses as well as larger operators. Hosting activities such as street theatre, events, and music can add vibrancy to the town and we would point to the recent pop-up Pavillion events last summer as a good example of this, which could also provide a draw to Porthcawl.
We note an area is reserved for potential use by camper-vans and motor-homes and we would welcome this addition, including appropriate facilities and in a position which does not impinge on existing residents.
Other suggestions included changing facilities, such as beach huts, would be a useful and attractive addition to the area around Coney Beach, as well as the proposed Splash Park on the Eastern Promenade.
The groups welcome the proposed community facilities near the harbour, being an important area that could benefit a host of community groups across the town. It is crucial that this is not watered down through the design process.
Parking
We understand that there will be c. 750 spaces across a redeveloped Hillsboro Car Park and two other car parks near Coney Beach. We note that following traffic studies this should be sufficient for most of the year, although we have concerns to what would happen on busy days in the summer holidays, as well as events such as the Elvis Festival?
An overflow option, out of town with a park & ride facility, is something that should be considered a necessity for the school holidays as well as certain event days. This could service both the town, and Rest Bay, which is already overflowing on busy days. Failure to provide adequate parking could lead to significant negative impact on residents as visitors are forced to try and find appropriate parking in residential areas.
Public Transport
We would comment that local & regional bus provision needs to be improved significantly if we want people to encourage people to reduce some car use and visit or leave Porthcawl via public transport. We endorse and encourage the use of active travel across the proposed regeneration area so that residents and visitors can both walk and cycle across the town in a safe manner.
Given the car traffic coming into Porthcawl on busy days we question whether a dedicated bus lane for both the proposed park and ride and local buses coming into the town should be considered.
Sufficient space should be provided in the proposed car parks to accommodate coach trip visitors.
Design Code
While we understand this is still being formulated, we believe it is crucial to get the design code right so that the proposed development enhances Porthcawl rather than detracts from it. We would not want to see identikit apartments that we have seen be developed in some other parts of S. Wales, to the detriment of the built environment.
We acknowledge that design choices are personal, and it is difficult to choose designs that please everyone, although we would advocate that a bold approach is preferable to a bland one.
Additional comments
We have several other comments regarding the development:
The inclusion of a proposed boat yard seems a strange addition to what otherwise appears to be an important open plaza area. It is important that if this is deemed necessary it does not impinge on adjacent public areas.
Timing is critical: it has been a long process to get to this point and the groups note the development itself will take a number of years. While this is being brought forward it is important to have something in place as an interim attraction, such as the previously suggested proposals for a container village. This would continue to draw people into the town, benefiting local business as well as local residents, while the larger development is underway.
Integration with the rest of the town must be also ensured. We note the proposed Dock Street link but would again reiterate that the proposed building heights of 6 storeys near the Dock Street area would be very overbearing in comparison to the existing building heights in the area.
We also would again, like many others, raise the issue of the impact of additional residents on local services, particularly access to services such as doctors and dentists which are already over stretched. We feel that will be something that needs addressing prior to completion of the development.
Finally, we would also advocate that engagement with local schools and the broader community, including other communities within Bridgend County Borough, should be enhanced to ensure inclusive development.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide our input on the masterplan and look forward to seeing Porthcawl's development into a vibrant and attractive destination.
Yours faithfully,
Chad Griffiths, Advisor Sustainable Wales
For & on behalf of Better Porthcawl
20th February 2025