Town beach fully open to the public

Porthcawl’s town beach has been fully reopened to the public again following the completion of work on its new £3m sea defences.

All of the remaining fencing along the lower promenade has now been removed so people can enjoy strolling along the beach and taking a closer look at the new terraced revetment design which has been installed to replace the old ‘tarmac beach’.

Chosen following a public consultation in 2013, the 185 large terraces are specially designed to divert the force of each incoming wave to either side instead of allowing it to hit the seafront head-on.

The sea wall along the lower promenade has also been repaired and strengthened as part of the work.

Welsh Government contributed £2.3m towards the overall cost of the project, with Bridgend County Borough Council making up the remaining £700,000.

This was an extremely challenging feat of coastal engineering which needed to take account of issues such as unpredictable weather patterns and changing maritime conditions, but is more than worth the effort.

The new sea defences will be capable of standing up to the elements, providing effective protection for around 260 seafront properties against flooding and erosion for the next century.

It has been fascinating to see the work take shape and I’m sure that everyone agrees that the new design is also far easier on the eye than the old tarmac beach.

Councillor Richard Young, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities

Inspecting the new terraces comes with a warning though, as Councillor Young added: “Please bear in mind that the terraces are sea defences and the natural algae growth can get very slippery.”