It has been an all-change for Coney Beach recently, with the local funfair set to close for good. And now steps are being taken to install some brand new sea defences as part of a £6.4m scheme to upgrade sea defences in Porthcawl.
Some of them are going to be delivered on some of the land in the waterfront area of Coney Beach. According to Bridgend County Borough Council, small parts of the beach will be used as it is classed as open space.
Work has already been completed on the breakwater and the eastern promenade in Porthcawl, and the next phase will seek to introduce new stepped revetments along the front at Coney Beach. A council spokesperson told WalesOnline that "these will be not as steep as the revetments in use at Town Beach, and will be easier to circumnavigate."
The ‘new revetment wall’ in Coney Beach can be seen next to the shore on an image released by the council showing Porthcawl's planned ‘Green Corridor’.
The council also says that the new sea defences planned for Coney Beach are designed to protect more than 500 existing homes and 170 existing businesses against flooding while also offering enhanced access to the beach- as well as making the seafront area more attractive.
The council is also hoping that the new sea defences will also serve to protect future developments that form part of the Porthcawl Regeneration Scheme, which has been spoken about as something which could create an ambitious future for the area. Public notices have been placed throughout Coney Beach explaining that the new sea defences are now being planned, as part of an ongoing compulsory purchase process and in compliance with the Acquisition of Land Act 1981.
Councillor Rhys Goode, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration said: "Under current proposals, the land will remain an open space once the new sea defence works have been installed, leaving Coney Beach and Sandy Bay more attractive to the eye, and even more accessible.
"Further details on the new sea defences will be released very soon. The public notices represent the first step in this process, which forms part of our wider plans for the next phase of the Porthcawl Regeneration.
"As part of the plan, we want to double the size of Griffin Park and create an all-new green corridor which will link it to the seafront, deliver a mix of new residential, recreational and business opportunities, and establish a new school along with enhanced coastal protection and ecological measures for the local dune system."
There has been a lot going on in the Coney Beach area, after Welsh ministers secured the ownership of sections of land at Porthcawl's waterfront based on a 20 hectare site, at the heart of the area for Bridgend Council’s regeneration in Porthcawl. The sale includes the Coney Beach Amusement Park site and the adjoining section of land known locally as the monster park.
It is now expected that the amusement park, which has been a popular feature in the town for more than 100 years, will continue to run for up to three years before any work starts. You can get more Porthcawl and Bridgend news, and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
