Bridgend County Borough Council has set a date to decide on major plans for the redevelopment of Porthcawl's seafront area after years of talks between the local authority and the town's residents.
The hybrid plans, submitted in April, will now go before a special meeting of the council's planning committee for a decision on December 9.
Proposals for New Homes and Infrastructure
The plans seek permission to build up to 980 new homes on Porthcawl's waterfront, along with the creation of a new spine road from the Eastern Promenade to Sandy Bay.
The proposal covers an area of 43.6 hectares, with sites such as Griffin Park, the former Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Monster Park, and the Hillsboro car park included for development.
Leisure and Community Facilities
If approved, the plans would see a new lido swimming pool and gym built in the town, along with the development of green spaces, shops, coastal defence works, and a number of other leisure attractions.
Additionally, they could see the alteration and expansion of the town's Griffin Park, along with the development of a new public car park at Coney Beach.
Opposition and Concerns
However, the long-term plans to transform the seafront town have been met with a great deal of opposition from some locals in recent years.
This could be seen earlier this year with a demonstration held by residents outside the council's civic offices in May, where people held banners and flags that urged the authority to rethink the contentious proposals.
Critics say they have concerns about the potential pressures that more than 900 new homes could put on local infrastructure in the town, as well as on parking capacity and access to medical care.
Others have shared fears over a potential loss of the town's identity in the process of regeneration, with a local action group saying they want to see a more "leisure-led" development taken forward.
Council bosses previously said they had addressed many of the issues with a number of changes that came after feedback from a public consultation process – namely with a reduction in the number of proposed homes, building heights, and the inclusion of the lido-style pool.
Next Steps
The plans will now be discussed by members of the local authority's planning committee on December 9 at a special meeting set to be held from 10am to 1pm.
This will come after a planned site visit by members of the committee and will allow for an extended time of up to six minutes where three individual objectors, representatives of the town council, and a local ward member can speak.
