How Salt Lake will look after Porthcawl’s new food store opens

Bridgend County Borough Council and Aldi Stores Ltd have revealed what the new food store development on land at Salt Lake is expected to look like.

With contracts for the development now signed and exchanged between Bridgend County Borough Council and Aldi Stores Ltd, an artist’s impression has been released.

This highlights how the building will feature an environmentally-sustainable design which uses high-quality materials to take account of Porthcawl’s heritage and setting while also looking towards future regeneration aspirations.

With a roof which features a ‘wave’ motif to reflect the community’s close relationship with the sea and a strong focus on using wooden and limestone materials as part of the construction, the development is intended to provide an iconic landmark building that will act as a gateway into the resort.

The designs also reveal how the new development will feature extensive greenery, high-quality landscaping, and extra car parking space to support trips into the town centre.

Improved pedestrian and cycle links and new public realm improvements will be introduced, including electric vehicle charging points, and the overall design of the store will help to provide a direct link between the town centre and the Eastern Promenade, which is also set to be regenerated.

The store will be developed at a two-acre site located within the Salt Lake area and known locally as The Green. It will be followed by all-new residential, leisure, retail and commercial developments, green open space, new active travel facilities and more, including significant investment at the nearby Hillsboro Place car park.

Bridgend County Borough Council is pleased to confirm that after a lot of hard work, contracts have been exchanged and the development of the food store phase of Porthcawl’s regeneration plans is going ahead. Money generated from the sale of the land is being reinvested back into Porthcawl, and will unlock funds that will support local infrastructure improvements and further stages of the regeneration plans.

To ensure that the store fits in seamlessly with businesses in John Street, a Section 106 agreement has been factored in to provide clear links, sightlines and pedestrian access between the sites.

We are looking forward to seeing the development take shape, and to completing another phase in the ongoing regeneration of Porthcawl.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

An Aldi spokesperson said: “Aldi is excited at the prospect of making this significant, multi-million pound investment in Porthcawl.

“We have worked extensively with Bridgend County Borough Council to arrive at a bespoke, landmark design, which will complement the town and the future regeneration proposals.

“The new store will create up to 40 new jobs, with industry-leading pay rates and training opportunities, and will provide much needed food shopping choice for the local community.

“We are looking forward to starting the process of public consultation on our planning application for the new store, and will be releasing further details about how residents can comment nearer the time.”

The foodstore development forms part of the wider planned regeneration of the Porthcawl waterfront area, which has been identified as a strategic regeneration site within the council’s Replacement LDP Deposit Plan (currently out for public consultation until 27 July 2021).

Further dedicated consultation on the Porthcawl waterfront area will be carried out later in the year as part of a new placemaking strategy, which will look at how it can be enhanced for the benefit of the whole community.