Flats plan for Porthcawl seafront site left vacant for decades
- Published
A 1970s block of flats next to the Pier Hotel was demolished more than 20 years ago
A seafront site left vacant for over 20 years could be transformed by new shops and apartments.
Porthcawl hotelier Steve Rock wants to redevelop the Pier Hotel and the former Dunraven Court site next to it.
Mike Clarke, a Porthcawl town and Bridgend county councillor, said the site had "been a problem for a while".
Charles Smith, Bridgend cabinet member for regeneration, said the council was in talks with the Welsh Government "to get something useful put there".
The proposals for the site, on the corner of the Eastern Promenade and the Esplanade, are the latest in a series of projects aimed at restoring the once-thriving resort's fortunes.
Like many British seaside towns, Porthcawl has suffered a decline in popularity since the 1970s as British holidaymakers increasingly opted to travel overseas.
An artist impression of how the new development could look
Kieren Morgan, director of Boyes Rees Architects, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service the scheme would include a cafe, restaurant and shops on the ground floor.
Residential accommodation on the upper floors would offer "long distant views of the Glamorgan coastline and channel", he added.
Following a presentation to Porthcawl Town Council, Mr Clarke said it was a "breath of fresh air" to have a developer seek the authority's views on plans for "an important part of the town".
"We are pleased it's not going to be a 22-storey building - the way the developers are looking at the architecture is good," he added.
The Dunraven Court flats were built in the early 1970s and demolished in the mid 1990s.
Councillor Smith said Bridgend, as the planning authority, was also due to meet Mr Rock and Mr Morgan to discuss the scheme, adding there were other developers interested in the site.
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