Date set for start of Porthcawl’s major sea-front development

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

Work on the first stages of Porthcawl’s seafront regeneration could get underway by March 2027.

The announcement came at a recent Bridgend council scrutiny session where members were given an update on the long-term plans for the popular seaside town, with developments planned in the Salt Lake, Coney Beach, and Sandy Bay areas.

These proposals could eventually see the development of around 1,100 new homes along Porthcawl’s seafront as well as the creation of a variety of shops, cafés, restaurants, and other leisure attractions.

Master-plan

They were discussed after the completion of a public consultation on the town’s waterfront master-plan in February 2025 where a mixture of positive responses and concerns were said to have been raised.

Positive feedback focused on the amount of open space and distribution of play facilities within the plans along with support for a continuous promenade to enhance walkability, improved beach access, and the modernising of flood defences.

However concerns were also raised, in particular over the number of homes proposed as well as fears about a loss of public parking spaces with a desire to make sure tourism continues throughout the regeneration phases.

Part of the report noted a potential timeline for the plans to take place with a final planning application expected to be handed in by January 2026 and a decision made by the following June.

Funfair site

Following approval of this the demolition of the funfair site could then take place between November 2026 and March 2027 with the construction of the first phase of the waterfront development starting from March 2027.

The papers also highlighted a number of regeneration projects that had already been completed in the town in recent years including the Porthcawl Metro link, Cosy Corner development, and upgrades to the Eastern Promenade.

Following questions and debate from members in attendance Cllr Richard Collins of Maesteg West said he felt excited by the potential of the plans that could be one of the biggest regeneration schemes of its kind in Wales.

The scrutiny meeting was held on July 14 and came just days after the announcement the town’s iconic fair ground at Coney Beach would close this year with many locals saying they were “devastated” by the news.