Porthcawl regeneration must be leisure-based, say campaigners

Martin Shipton

Community campaigners are calling for a leisure-led priority in Porthcawl’s Waterfront regeneration, saying updated Welsh Government planning policies provide an opportunity to rebalance the plans.

Members of Porthcawl SOS (Save Our Seaside) say it makes sense for the plans to focus on leisure, greater parkland and environmental protection rather than an excessive housing-led development in the last remaining prime locations of Porthcawl’s beach front.

A spokesperson for the group said: “While there remains very strong support for a new regeneration and investment in the seafront, residents say there is growing continued concern about the current balance of placing 980 dwellings ahead of the long-term needs of the town as a seaside destination.

“Many in the community believe that waterfront regeneration — long anticipated after decades of decline — should focus first on creating a high-quality leisure and landscaped parkland environment that can evolve over time and be enjoyed by residents local communities and visitors for generations to come.

“Updated national planning policies place increased emphasis on climate resilience, biodiversity protection and place-led regeneration. Community members say these changes now strengthen the case for ensuring that the Porthcawl waterfront is predominantly shaped around leisure and environmental value, with housing delivered at a scale that supports rather than defines the seaside regeneration.

“Sandy Bay in particular , which sits alongside an important dune system and represents one of the last remaining natural coastal areas on this stretch of seafront, has become a particular focus of concern. Residents believe that a leisure-led approach, supported by larger green spaces and landscaped areas alongside public access, would better reflect both modern planning policy and long-standing expectations that regeneration would restore Porthcawl’s identity as a seaside destination bringing a vibrant and economically sustainable future to the whole borough.”

Residential development

There are also growing concerns related to the vast scale of residential development in the current plans that will increase daily traffic, impacting the town’s parking availability, further increasing congestion and ease of accessibility. The scale of the current housing development plans will put further stress and increased environmental impact on an already compromised area of river, marine and health concerns.

The spokesperson added: “Porthcawl functions not only as a visitor destination but as a daily hub for the wider borough. Many local residents rely on private vehicles.

“With increased population growth and many thousands of new houses planned across Bridgend in its Local Development Plan over the next decade, community representatives say it is vital that the remaining prime coastal areas are planned for public use and enjoyment as demand on the town increases.

“The development plan includes not just 980 homes within Porthcawl but a further 2000 in Pyle, just three miles away. Using the UK average of 2.35 per household, this results in a 7,003 population increase across the joint population of Pyle and Porthcawl. The total population of both Pyle and Porthcawl is 29,834 so in summary that’s an increase in population of 23.47% within a three mile radius – that’s seen as ‘highly significant’ and in the fields of urban planning, real estate and demographics, any double digit growth across a 5-10 year window is seen as rapid or ‘explosive’ expansion.

“The overriding question is why build so extensively on seafront locations where this ‘increased population’ would want to use, to visit, to relax etc.

“Although the regeneration proposals have evolved to include leisure facilities such as a lido, a proposed hotel and enhanced public spaces with pockets of gardens and corridors of green, residents say there is increasing concern about the scale of enabling works required before development can begin. These include coastal defence works, significant drainage and sewer upgrades, road infrastructure improvements and potential remediation / contamination associated with historic land uses on parts of the site.

“While technical studies are ongoing, community representatives say there is currently no clearly published, comprehensive breakdown of the total infrastructure and abnormal costs associated with delivering all these works across the regeneration area. As a result, there are real concerns locally about these escalating or unforeseen infrastructure costs that would rise with the risk that, if these increase significantly, leisure commitments and public realm improvements could come under real pressure during later stages of development.

Transparency around costs

They added: “Residents warn that without clear transparency around costs which currently are not available then deliverability that has been agreed for leisure elements may not be fully be implemented if at all, potentially leaving key parts of the seafront undeveloped, compromised or left as a construction site for extended periods — something many fear could damage the town’s appeal and leave a key coastal area left abandoned and in uncertainty for years.

“The community’s message is very clear: Porthcawl has a rare opportunity to shape its seafront for future generations. By placing leisure, green space and environmental protection at the heart of regeneration, and ensuring housing is delivered at a sustainable scale, the waterfront can become a lasting success for both residents and visitors across the borough.”