Bridgend County Borough Council is in talks with Visit Wales over plans that could restore Cosy Corner in Porthcawl and deliver a range of new community facilities at the site.
The Cabinet will meet on Tuesday 15 December to discuss proposals that, if approved, will seek to introduce the changes using council funding and by applying for additional support under the Welsh Government’s Tourist Attractor Destination programme.
Cosy Corner was recently vacated by contractors following the voluntary liquidation of a community organisation that was seeking to establish a maritime centre development at the site, which sits alongside the marina near Porthcawl’s iconic lighthouse and eastern breakwater.
Potential options for how the site could now be used include providing a high-quality children’s play area to complement nearby attractions, a new outdoor performance space with seating and landscaping, facilities for use by community organisations such as the Sea Cadets, new premises suitable for small retail and start-up enterprises, and storage and changing facilities for users of the nearby marina.
The proposals also seek to address the current state of the site, which was partially excavated and had foundations and other work carried out before it was vacated by the maritime centre contractors.
The report going before Cabinet outlines how council officers have already met with Visit Wales, who have confirmed that an opportunity exists to apply for funding to support the proposals.
It also highlights the need to maintain realistic expectations on what can be delivered as available funding is significantly less than that required for a development on the scale of the maritime centre. The money would also need to be secured, spent and claimed within a very short timeframe.
If the report is approved, the council will formally develop and submit a funding application to Visit Wales, and a further update will be delivered to Cabinet.
- Cabinet will meet to discuss the report at 2pm on Tuesday 15 December.