Bridgend Council has revealed designs for a £1.8 million project that it hopes to build in Porthcawl.
The council wants to develop a new building with community facilities and space for shops and start-up businesses at land on Porthcawl seafront, known locally as 'Cosy Corner'.
Councillor Charles Smith, cabinet member for education and regeneration, said: “An early concept for how the completed site could look has been produced in order to provide greater certainty around costs as part of the funding process.
“While the designs could change further as we get deeper into the project, they demonstrate our ambitions for transforming Cosy Corner into an area of full community use."
The local authority wants to bring a stone and glass-clad building to the seafront, with meeting space for community groups, facilities for the Sea Cadets and changing rooms. The plans also include space for retail and start-up enterprises, landscaping, public seating, a children’s play area and an outdoor canopy providing shelter from hot and rainy weather.
The council has submitted a funding application to the Welsh Government for £1 million and has agreed to match this with an extra £885,000. In August 2019, the council gave Credu Charity Ltd, a former charity directed by councillors, a lease to build a £5.5 million maritime centre on the site.
Plans for the centre featured a coastal science and discovery centre, a cafe, wine bar, roof terrace and micro brewery. The council reclaimed the land from Credu in November 2020 after the charity failed to confirm it had the funds to continue with the project. Foundations were partially laid on the site and building waste was left there after construction began on the maritime development.
The council lacked the funds to restore the site to a safe condition because it was not previously responsible for the land and so members agreed to seek money from Visit Wales to sort it out. Any money from Visit Wales will need to be spent by March 2022, a time frame much shorter than that given for the maritime centre.
Cllr Smith said: “The Cosy Corner site "is in urgent need of attention following the departure of contractors who worked on the former maritime centre project. We want to take this opportunity to use available funding to not only address this, but to create all-new facilities that will benefit residents and visitors alike.
“It is important to note that our plans for Cosy Corner have to be realistic and capable of being delivered within certain parameters, one of which is that we must work within a narrow budget which incorporates the £1 million grant funding that Visit Wales previously planned to provide to Credu for their maritime centre development.
“As a result, we will focus on providing the main facilities at Cosy Corner first before looking at how the area can be further enhanced.
He added: “Cosy Corner is in a prime seafront location, and we want to ensure that it becomes an important part of the public realm within Porthcawl rather than a site for housing or other developments.
“We will be organising a public engagement event later in the year to provide more details and an opportunity for people to comment on the plans before they are finalised.”
