Seafront masterplan approved by council’s cabinet

Wellness gardens with saunas and hot tubs, a dunes park with a restaurant and bar enjoying spectacular sea views and colourful beach huts are set to take centre stage in masterplans for a Welsh seafront.

Along with the expansion of food options and provision of extra parking and changing facilities, these are just some of the suggestions contained in an Aberafan Seafront Masterplan which was approved by members of Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet on Wednesday, February 5^th, 2025.

It was designed by experienced consultants Roberts Limbrick and Chris Jones Regeneration, who were commissioned by Neath Port Talbot Council to create a cohesive strategy and ‘conceptual plan’ for the future direction of the popular seafront.

With the support of the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund, they developed ideas to improve the Aberafan Seafront in terms of uses and spaces.

“Endless potential”

The document says: “The natural beauty and rugged nature of the seafront here shows endless potential and it is our aim to harness this and create a destination seafront.”

Among the proposals are The New Naval Club – a destination restaurant and bar overlooking the sea and a new Dunes Park created using boardwalks in the sands.

The scheme will also include Scarlet Avenue Car Park, including a new toilet block and accessible route to the beach.

New play spaces, involving integrated ability play, beach huts (rented to beachgoers or used as shops) and play spaces (near the Ocean Way Car Park). Aqua Splash will be “rationalised” and made more inclusive.

Among the master plan’s other features are an extensive ‘Wellness Garden’ (near Remo’s) with hot tubs, plunge pools and mobile saunas. A Linear park (near the Four Winds site), with its green spaces retained. A new pump track and skate park (at a point in front of the leisure and fitness centre) with an expansion of existing toilets, a community stage and events area and food trucks.

An enhanced area around The Whale Sculpture with natural elements such as logs and boulders is expected to create a playful environment with an opportunity to incorporate diverse planting to create a soft, green space that blends with the coastal landscape.

Further to the east there will be new showers, a toilet block and changing areas and active travel links to the ‘small beach’ area and Newbridge Road.

Next stages

The next steps include identifying the strategic and local partnerships needed to help co-deliver the proposals, making cost estimates and seeking funding.

Two waves of consultation were carried out regarding the masterplan with, in the first wave, 92% either totally agreeing or agreeing the seafront was ‘a great place to relax’ and 88% agreed or totally agreed it was ‘a great place for everyone’.

In the second wave, 75% of respondents agreed with the goals of the masterplan including enhancing beach attractions and amenities including food options, accessibility and enhancing the area’s profile.

Cllr Cen Phillips, Neath Port Talbot Council’s Cabinet Member for Nature, Tourism and Wellbeing said: “The Seafront Masterplan provides a guide for future investment in this most important asset – one of the jewels on the crown for Neath Port Talbot – so it can be enjoyed for generations to come.

“I was particularly pleased by the enthusiasm shown by local residents in giving their views in consultation on this masterplan and we were able to include local opinions in the finished masterplan.

“This is just the start of the journey and we will now begin the process of identifying individual projects and developments on the seafront.”

The Cabinet’s decision was made subject to a three-day call-in period.