B874 - The Provision of Porthcawl Waterfront Regeneration Area Masterplan and Design Code

Porthcawl has been earmarked for significant investment and regeneration for a number of years with Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) taking a leading role in terms of past and current developments. A significant part of the waterfront was purchased by the Welsh Government (WG) in March 2023 and together with BCBC both public bodies have formed a land owners agreement which will see the waterfront master planned as one development.

As part of its work to bring forward regeneration in Porthcawl, BCBC previously prepared a Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG) document in 2007. The 2007 SPG was based on a high level masterplan for Porthcawl Harbourside which provided for new homes alongside major retail and leisure developments, community provision, new road systems, land set aside for health provision, and other areas of public amenity, including new sea defences.

More recently BCBC has formulated and approved a Placemaking Strategy following a period of public consultation. The Strategy provides a high level masterplan and sets out a vision and approach to the development of 32 ha of land across the Porthcawl Waterfront Regeneration Area (PWRA) for mixed use development including significant areas of public realm. The future provision of open space for public access, amenity and enjoyment was a crucial issue emerging from key stakeholder and public consultation carried out in developing the Placemaking Strategy. Subsequent to the Placemaking Strategy the open space concept design has been prepared in order to capture a vision and framework for the nature of the public open spaces, their potential future uses and potential design approaches. Alongside the open space concept design an infrastructure plan has been prepared which considers the phasing and delivery of key infrastructure in synergy with the provision of the planned development including new open spaces.

In March 2023 Welsh Government Acquired land at Coney Beach and Sandy Bay and the wider Sandy Bay East and Sandy Bay West Development site is now jointly owned by Welsh Government and BCBC. The joint public sector landowners are fully committed to bringing forward high quality mixed use regeneration and the preparation of a masterplan and design code is considered an important next step ahead of any future planning application and / or procurement exercise to appoint a developer.

As joint public sector landowners BCBC and WG have strong shared aspirations to maximise the social value that flows from the development as such delivering 50% of the residential development as affordable housing and including a substantial proportion of low carbon homes are core objectives that will need to be taken into account as part of this commission. Additionally, providing high quality residential accommodation that accords with WDQR 2021 standards is a key requirement.

This Procurement was for the preparation of design work needed to bring forward the nature and scale of mixed-use development anticipated across the PWRA. However, the waterfront at Porthcawl can deliver something special to residents and visitors alike. The successful consultants will need to demonstrate that they can see, and are bought into, the vision for what can and should be delivered on this unique site.

The lead consultant will be a Masterplanner/urban designer but will work with, and be informed by, property agents, civil engineers and other experts as directed by the brief.

The commission will be masterplan led with a supporting design code, consideration of mix of uses, scale and massing, views & linkages and other architectural and urban design factors as the consultant may advise necessary and appropriate.

This work is a joint commission between BCBC and WG who wish to commission a consultant consortium, to produce a master plan and associated design code.