Residents clash over future of popular seaside town

Lewis Smith, Local Democracy Reporter

There are few places in Wales that are facing changes on the same scale as the seaside town of Porthcawl.

With the proposed redevelopment of a large section of land that includes the creation of almost 1,000 homes, leisure facilities, and a new spine road, it is a scheme that promises massive alterations to an area known as one of south Wales’ most popular tourist destinations.

The proposals which were submitted by the local council in May, 2026, currently include the development of up to 980 new homes on Porthcawl’s waterfront, along with the creation of a new spine road through part of Griffin Park, new green spaces, a Lido swimming pool, and a gym.

The planned work has been the centre of fierce debate between locals in recent years, particularly since the closure of the town’s iconic Coney Beach Pleasure Park and surrounding businesses in 2025.

Supporters of the scheme see it as bringing in much needed investment and regeneration to the town that has been sought for a number of years.

The local council says it demonstrates its “hopes, aspirations and ambitions for the town,” striking a balance between leisure facilities, green open spaces and housing needs.

However, there are also many who oppose the regeneration as they feel it leans too far towards housing, with fears that embracing such a change could result in losing the traditional seaside identity that makes Porthcawl what it is.

Adam Griffiths runs a stall on the seafront of Sandy Bay and said he still hadn’t been convinced by the plans that have sparked major debate between residents and local politicians.

He said: “I think it’s taking over with houses when it’s meant to be a nice place for people to go for a week away if they can’t afford to go on holiday or want to go somewhere more local,  and I just think it kills it a bit.”

Just metres away, fellow stall workers Ben Sheppard and Riley Jenkins said they were pleased to hear of alterations that included a Lido and gym, though were saddened to see the real life changes that had already led to the closure of the town’s iconic Coney Beach amusement park in 2025.

Ben said: “To be honest, I don’t think they should have closed down the fair. That could mess everything up as that’s what people came down from Trecco to do.”

On the high street, Arthur Burgess said the area was crying out for development, though emphasised that it had to be done in a way that listened to residents.

He added that he would prefer to see the housing elements moved to other areas around the town with the seafront reserved for leisure opportunities.

He said: “We’ve been waiting for over 50 years for something to happen here, but the main thing we need is at least one top quality hotel with other facilities and restaurants that can draw people in.”

Members of a local action group, Porthcawl SOS, have also begun a series of protests this month, with people seen outside Bridgend’s civic offices holding banners and flags that urged the authority to rethink the contentious plans.

A spokesperson for the group said: “As a community group, we believe the future of Porthcawl should be shaped by a balanced vision that protects and enhances the town’s unique coastal character for generations to come.

“Sites such as Salt Lake, Coney Beach and Sandy Bay are rare and significant beach front locations with the potential to deliver far more than large-scale residential development alone.

“Our concern is that the current proposals place too much emphasis on dense housing and not enough on the leisure, tourism, recreation and environmental opportunities that could help create a thriving, year-round seaside destination.

“Once these prominent coastal areas are heavily built upon, the opportunity to create something truly exceptional for Porthcawl may be lost permanently. Regeneration should focus on delivering long-term value for the whole community and wider borough — not simply maximising housing numbers.

“Many within the community believe these seafront locations should prioritise high-quality leisure facilities, green open spaces, tourism investment and environmental protection alongside an appropriate and carefully balanced level of housing.

“Porthcawl already benefits from major strengths including world-class golf, a growing surf community, stunning coastal scenery and the new pavilion development. These assets should be supported by infrastructure and investment that encourage visitors, businesses and investors to stay, spend and return throughout the year.

“What the community is asking for is balance: balanced housing, balanced infrastructure, quality year-round leisure provision and long-term investment that strengthens Porthcawl’s future as a coastal destination. We believe regeneration should enhance the town’s character and appeal, not urbanise the very seafront areas that make Porthcawl unique.”

A spokesperson from Bridgend County Borough Council responded to the comments, saying: “We want Porthcawl to evolve, not stagnate and stand still. The regeneration master-plan demonstrates our hopes, aspirations and ambitions for the town, and has been carefully designed to strike a balance between providing new leisure facilities, green open spaces and urgent housing and community needs.

“Bridgend County Borough is not immune to the UK housing crisis. By 2033, our local population is expected to increase by 13,700 people, so unless we provide more housing, not everyone is going to have a home, especially in Porthcawl where many people are already finding themselves priced out of buying property in the town they grew up in.

“This is why we have agreed with Welsh Government to prioritise local people for the new housing, to class up to half of it as affordable, and to make it suitable for a full mixed community of families, older people, couples, individuals living alone, key workers, veterans and more.

“A variety of tenures will be in place including shared ownership and low-cost home ownership for people who may not require social housing but cannot otherwise afford to buy locally at open market values, and we intend to impose limits on the future use of residential units which will include restrictions on using them as holiday lets or second homes.

“By funding a significant part of this regeneration through the sale of land for development, we are generating money that can be reinvested in providing the new leisure and community facilities while also tackling the urgent need to provide more community-focused housing.

“Having already delivered substantial multi-million pound investment into Porthcawl, ranging from the new-look Eastern Promenade and Cosy Corner to the Metro Link and improvements at Hillsboro South, we are similarly seeking to provide as much of the leisure element of the master-plan at the earliest possible stage.

“Among the new planned leisure facilities are a Lido swimming pool and gym, a water-based play feature, a mini golf course, a pump track, a multi-use games area, a basketball court, a high-quality hotel, a new community use building, a new site for public events complete with new iconic fairground rides, performance space, opportunities for hosting seasonal markets and fayres, pocket parks, fitness trails, climbing walls, community gardens and various play areas equipped for children of different ages.

“The plans also include space for new shops, restaurants, bars and kiosks, a site for motor-homes and touring caravans, new stepped coastal defences to provide easier access to the beach, and new activities at Coney Bay such as open air sports, outdoor fitness classes, surfing lessons, mobile food and beverage stalls and more.

“With extensive landscaping throughout and a substantial ‘green corridor’ winding through the regeneration zone that reconnects with the waterfront, Griffin Park will also more than triple in size and benefit from a wide range of new facilities.

“Throughout all of this, public engagement has remained a cornerstone of the regeneration process. We have fully listened to the views and concerns of local residents and have incorporated as many ideas and suggestions as possible. In the last five years alone, we have held no fewer than 10 substantial consultation events on each phase of the regeneration proposals, with the most recent full-day engagement event drawing attendance and interest from almost a thousand residents and local businesses.

“As a direct result of resident feedback, we have reduced the amount of housing, increased the amount of day-to-day parking to 750 spaces, increased the variety of leisure facilities, lowered the vast majority of building heights down to 3-4 storeys, increased green open space by 45 per cent, and have introduced more than 1,800 metres of new paths and routes throughout the landscaped development area which will be suitable for pedestrians and cyclists.

“On this basis, we have ensured that the regeneration master-plan reflects the views and needs of residents while also remaining realistic, achievable, and capable of delivering a long-term sustainable future for Porthcawl.”