Porthcawl regeneration at Salt Lake moves forward

The regeneration of Porthcawl’s waterfront area has moved a step closer following the approval of plans for marketing land at Salt Lake to potential food store developers.

With Salt Lake marked for residential, leisure, retail and commercial development as well as open space, car parking and active travel routes, marketing is set to begin to attract a developer for a new food store which will be built on the two-acre area known locally as the Green.

The marketing of the food store site is expected to be completed by the end of the year so that Cabinet can make a final decision early in 2021 on which store will be developed there.

The development will unlock funds that will be reinvested into infrastructure improvements and further stages of the town’s regeneration plans, including work to upgrade and improve the nearby John Street car park.

Planning guidelines will support the marketing of the food store and ensure that it remains a high-quality development which complements other regeneration efforts in the town.

To ensure that the store fits in seamlessly with existing businesses in John Street, a Section 106 agreement will provide clear links, sightlines and pedestrian access between the two sites.

At Coney Beach and Sandy Bay, negotiations are underway with the owners of several small pockets of land needed for future phases of the regeneration, which includes the extension of Griffin Park, a new roundabout and access road, and a mix of new residential and commercial development as well as a proposed new school.

This is an exciting milestone in the delivery of the new regeneration plans for Porthcawl.

Since the council took action to remove a development deadlock on Salt Lake, momentum has been continuing to gather and we are now at the stage where we can actively start looking for a high-quality developer who can provide the food store that will act as a vital first step towards delivering sustainable, long-lasting regeneration.

We have a range of public realm works and ambitious plans in place for how land will be used in the Salt Lake, Coney Beach and Sandy Bay waterfront areas. Much of which will be determined through the developing Local Development Plan for the county borough, and I am looking forward to seeing them develop as we set about delivering the regeneration for the people of Porthcawl.

Councillor Charles Smith, Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration

Regeneration in Porthcawl: what else is planned?

As part of the council’s regeneration plans for Porthcawl, a new Porthcawl Terminus is being developed opposite the food store as part of the South East Wales Metro Plus initiative.

Using grant funding from the Cardiff Capital City Region Deal and Welsh Government, this will feature around six bus bays and incorporate a modern canopy and shelter with digital information boards and capacity for accommodating electric vehicles.

Capital receipts from the development of the food store site will enable the council to undertake major work at the Hillsboro Place car park, including resurfacing and improvements to the car park’s layout

Land at the north-eastern end of the site, immediately adjacent to the new food store, will be developed for new housing, and a series of coastal protection improvements will be carried out to mitigate flood risk.

This will include work on the Western Breakwater and the Eastern Promenade overlooking Sandy Bay, and will form an important part of the project’s overall public realm improvement work.

The Eastern Promenade will be redeveloped to link the marina area with the eastern beaches, forming a striking piece of public realm works which will be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Portway will be kept open as an access road and re-engineered to become more pedestrian friendly, with clear lines of sight, better access to the town centre and the potential for additional parking.

Once the coastal defence works have been completed, two more phases of housing development will be taken forward in the centre of the Salt Lake site, with some of the land used as a temporary car park in the short term.

The remaining quarter of the Salt Lake site near the marina has been marked for a new leisure attraction.

Prior to a permanent leisure attraction being secured, the land will also be available for temporary leisure use.

Griffin Park will be extended and a new roundabout created to provide access to regeneration land in the Coney Beach and Sandy Bay areas.

This will be used for a mix of new residential and commercial development, including a new school, and will also seek to protect relic dunes in the area.