Council to consult over its Porthcawl ‘placemaking’ plans

Final preparations are underway for new public consultation organised by Bridgend County Borough Council over its proposals for regenerating the waterfront area of Porthcawl.

The consultation is being organised in line with the Placemaking Wales Charter, which calls upon organisations, businesses and communities to work closely together in order to deliver sustainable regeneration and development.

As well as involving the local community in the development of proposals, the charter seeks to ensure that sustainable locations are selected which create well-defined, safe, welcoming streets and public spaces.

It also seeks to prioritise the use of walking, cycling and public transport, and to make places vibrant by delivering a sustainable mix of uses while valuing and respecting a location’s positive distinctive qualities and identity.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration, said: “Placemaking forms an incredibly important part of our ambitions for delivering sustainable regeneration within Porthcawl, and we want the forthcoming consultation around this to be a meaningful, worthwhile process.

“Conversations with several stakeholder groups have already taken place, and we have received some valuable feedback. A number of suggestions, proposals and ideas have also been published on social media, some of which include a professionally-made map of potential ideas, and this is exactly the sort of involvement that we will want and encourage when the public consultation gets underway next month.

“We very much view this as a partnership – an opportunity to work closely together to deliver long-term, sustainable change for the area that is both ambitious and realistic, and which meets all of the various planning criteria and legislative requirements that we have to operate within.

“During the consultation, it will be absolutely crucial to maintain a realistic focus in order to ensure each contribution remains valuable and pragmatic. If you would like to see a specific facility, please also consider issues such as the potential costs, how it will be paid for, who will operate and maintain it, whether it meets the identified land needs of the Local Development Plan and so on.

“For example, I have seen several comments questioning why the proposals for Salt Lake need to factor in new housing as well as retail and leisure developments.

“There are several valid reasons for this, the main one being that there is a recognised national shortage of suitable accommodation, the population is growing rapidly, and our children are all going to need somewhere to live once they leave home and start having families of their own.

“It would also be lovely to fill the regeneration area with endless new facilities and public realm works, but the reality is that the development needs to be in accordance with the Local Development Plan while also remaining financially viable and deliverable.

“We hope to soon be in a position where we can present some highly ambitious ideas for how the leisure site at the top end of Salt Lake might be used, so any preconceptions about what development could take place may also turn out to be misconceptions over what we are aiming to deliver.

“Ultimately, we need the placemaking consultation to find the right balance between what people want, and what can be delivered.

“We will soon be releasing details of the placemaking consultation and how people can take part, but I want to encourage people to take account of these wider issues before submitting their ideas.

“What economic or social value does your suggestion offer? Is it likely to meet associated requirements on carbon neutrality? Is the location you have in mind already marked for retail, housing or leisure use?

“Ultimately, we want regeneration and development in Porthcawl to form part of an overall masterplan for connectivity and placemaking within the local community, and I hope that as many people as possible will take the opportunity to come forward and work alongside us on this.”

• Look out for more details on how you can take part in the placemaking consultation when it is launched next month.