New ‘placemaking’ plan set to offer a glimpse of Porthcawl’s future

Modern multi-storey car parking at Hillsboro Place, a luxury spa waterfront hotel, landscaping and pedestrianisation along the Eastern Promenade, improved public transport, the extension of Dock Street and fresh community spaces are just some of the potential opportunities that Bridgend County Borough Council wants to explore as part of its new ‘placemaking’ consultation.

Organised in line with the Placemaking Wales Charter, the consultation is inviting businesses and residents to give their views on the proposals either online or by visiting drop-in sessions where exhibition boards and regeneration staff will be available.

The drop-in sessions will take place at the Grand Pavilion between 9am-5pm on Wednesday 24 November, and 9am-8pm on Thursday 25 November.

Once the sessions are complete, the exhibition boards will be publicly displayed on hoardings at Cosy Corner for three weeks and made available to view online at the council’s website.

Throughout this three-week period, the council will invite people to provide written feedback to help shape and inform a draft placemaking strategy, which is due to be published in the new year.

The council remains extremely ambitious for its plans to deliver realistic, sustainable regeneration in Porthcawl, and residents and businesses who take part in this consultation will have an opportunity to see for themselves the level and scope of what we are trying to achieve. Placemaking consultation is all about organisations, businesses and communities working closely together in order to deliver sustainable regeneration and development.

We want to create well-defined, safe, welcoming streets and public spaces while prioritising the use of walking, cycling and public transport, and to also respect and value the area’s distinctive qualities and identity. Ultimately, we want the consultation to be a meaningful, worthwhile process so that it can contribute towards our aspirations for Porthcawl, both as a visitor destination and as somewhere to live and work.

I hope that residents and traders will come along the placemaking drop-in sessions to study what it is seeking to achieve and deliver, and will provide us with valuable feedback so that we can work towards making these opportunities a reality.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

• The drop-in sessions will take place at the Grand Pavilion between 9am-5pm on Wednesday 24 November, and 9am-8pm on Thursday 25 November.