Welsh Government Invests in Porthcawl Coastal Protection

Ageing sea defenses at Porthcawl’s town beach are set for a £3 million refurbishment following news that Welsh Government has approved a funding bid from Bridgend County Borough Council.

The work will establish a new terraced design with a sand-coloured surface, and will ensure that 260 seafront properties and businesses worth millions of pounds, including the historic Grand Pavilion, will continue to be protected from flooding and coastal erosion.

Councillor Richard Young, Cabinet Member for Communities, said: “This significant investment from the Welsh Assembly is excellent news for Porthcawl, and will enable Bridgend County Borough Council to continue to protect the town center and seafront area while also offering a more visually pleasing ‘terraced’ design for the sea defenses themselves.”

Known locally as the ‘tarmac beach’, the current sea defenses were constructed in 1984 to combat repeated incidents of flooding throughout the seafront area and in John Street.

When an inspection found that the defenses were deteriorating and in need of urgent replacement, the council approached Welsh Government, who agreed to cover £2.3 million of the overall cost with the authority making up the remaining £700,000.

[mappress mapid=”24407″]