New images reveal Welsh seaside town’s major transformation
Lewis Smith, Local democracy reporter
New images revealing how changes to Porthcawl’s seafront area could look in the coming years have been published by Bridgend County Borough Council.
The pictures come during a final round of public consultation over plans for the long-term regeneration of the seafront area of the town.
The latest version of the plan was revealed by the authority in October of 2025, and includes proposals to build a new lido swimming pool and funfair rides.
It also includes the development of almost 1,000 new homes, green spaces, shops, a site for motor-homes and caravans, and a number of leisure attractions.
Additionally, it could see the creation of a new splash pad, pump track, multi-use games area and community gardens if taken forward by the local authority.
The latest designs show how a number of well-known areas in the town such as Griffin Park, Sandy Bay and Dock Street could look once work is completed, with Griffin Park set to treble in size alongside the creation of a lido-style swimming pool near Salt Lake and a new garden park on Sandy Bay.
Critics of the contentious scheme have previously raised concerns about the potential pressure that the number of houses could put on local infrastructure, medical services and parking – with others who felt there could be a potential loss of the town’s identity as the development progresses.
Changes
However, council bosses said they addressed these issues with a number of changes, such as a reduction in the number of homes proposed dropping from 1,100 to 980, and building heights lowered so that structures would be no taller than three or four storeys high.
Bridgend County Borough Council and Welsh Government are currently inviting residents to take part in a final round of public consultation for the changes that could eventually “transform the seafront of Porthcawl”.
This will run until January 5, 2026, and will offer local people an opportunity to study the plans in closer detail by visiting www.porthcawlwaterfront.co.uk and submitting their views to [email protected]
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Bridgend council does not make me feel that anything in the plan will be the same in real life. Who stands to benefit here.
Porthcawl needs better public transport. There could be an express bus that meets every London train.
Will they put the horse before the cart for once? Road access will be stressed to the limit with all those extra homes and visitor numbers so road from Bridgend/Laleston and the road from M4/Pyle will need some improvement. Possibly of even greater importance is the current sewage and waste water system which will not take much more effluent without major upgrade.
Those developers should be paying for infrastructure upgrades such as a tram link to Bridgend station that could one day be a western terminus of Cardiff Crossrail.
Dwr Cymru will just pour the excess into the Ogmore, like they do now.
A vivid imagination needed…