Plans for new hotel complex advance

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

Plans for a new waterfront hotel and leisure facility in a popular seaside town have taken a step closer this month with land earmarked for the project put on the market.

The site is situated at the southern end of the Salt Lake near to the Porthcawl Marina, the Grand Pavilion and Cosy Corner, and could eventually see the delivery of a new luxury hotel and leisure facility for the town.

The 2.1 acre plot of land off Eastern Promenade is currently set aside for development under the Porthcawl Placemaking Strategy which aims to develop the area for both residents and tourists as an attractive place to live, work, and visit.

Regeneration

It is part of a wider scheme of regeneration planned for the area in the coming years, which includes proposals for around 900 new homes, a school, a multi-storey car park, as well as a 200m-long seafront park that runs the length of Salt Lake, along with the closure of the town’s Coney Beach Pleasure Park.

An advert for the site, which was released by ejhales esate agents, read: “The allocated hotel / leisure development site, which we have been instructed to market by Bridgend County Borough Council, has been earmarked within the Porthcawl Placemaking Strategy as providing an opportunity to deliver a high-quality hotel and is situated at the southern end of the Salt Lake ownership with views over the nearby beach.

“It is close to completed and current regeneration projects including The Jennings, Cosy Corner, Porthcawl Marina and The Grand Pavilion. The allocated site comprises 2.1 acres / 0.8 hectares and the council’s intention is to dispose of the site by way of a long leasehold interest, the details of which will be subject to specific negotiations.”

Priority

They also added that if the hotel was delivered as a priority by a developer, a mixed use scheme including residential properties could also be considered by the authority moving forward.

The announcement of the site also comes just weeks after the opening of the new Porthcawl Metrolink bus station just metres away along the Portway which has so far drawn a mixed response from residents due to its location and lack of toilet facilities.