It won’t be long now until the highly-anticipated revival of Porthcawl’s iconic ‘Cosy Corner’ is complete. It is hoped that everything will be ready in time for the summer, but there has been a key change as the opening of the different facilities will now be in two stages.
The first phase of the plan which will be finished in time for summer will mean facilities including the all-new stone and glass-clad building with five retail units, meeting space for community use, offices for the harbour master, public toilets, changing facilities for users of the nearby marina and more. But the council is looking for additional funding for the planned outdoor children’s play area, which is hoped to be finished in the second phase in the development.
The £2.4m development has already cost Bridgend Council a pretty penny- as they also approved an extra £265,000 two months ago after asbestos was discovered at the site. It meant that 2,000 tonnes of new soil to bring the site to formation level had to be bought, and material that was unsuitable had to be replaced as a result of potential asbestos contamination.
Read more: Cost of redevelopment at Cosy Corner in Porthcawl to increase by £265,000 due to asbestos issues
WalesOnline recently paid the area a visit to see how work was coming along, and this is what the site looked like.
The main building is really coming along at the Cosy Corner development, and you can really start to see how the site is being transformed right now.
It is clear that there is lots going on at the site at the moment, with construction works everywhere.
Councillor Neelo Farr, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, said: “The first phase of the £2.8m Cosy Corner development is now in its final stages and is on track to be ready in time for the summer season. Visitors and residents can expect to see an all-new stone and glass-clad building which will feature five retail units, meeting space for community use, offices for the harbour master, public toilets, changing facilities for users of the nearby marina and more.
“We have already received more than 30 expressions of interest from businesses and restaurants who are keen to secure one of the new retail units, and much like the nearby Jennings Building, this is going to help bring Cosy Corner back into public use as an area that the whole community can enjoy. While the second phase of the Cosy Corner development will also support this aim, it will be available later in the year as the council has expanded upon the original plans for the external parts of the site.
“We are seeking to source additional funding that will maximise the planned outdoor children’s play area and ensure that we can provide something that is truly suitable for a seaside town. The new play area will be an iconic, large-scale feature with a bespoke design, durable enough to stand up to maritime weather conditions while also remaining in keeping with the listed status of neighbouring buildings.
"We hope to be able to share plans on how this could look very soon. As the entire Cosy Corner site is being extensively landscaped, it will feature plenty of public seating, space for staging events and a canopy capable of providing comfortable outdoor shelter.
"Once both phases are complete, the newly revamped Cosy Corner is going to look spectacular, and will form another important part of Bridgend County Borough Council’s ongoing regeneration plans for Porthcawl.”
You can read more of our stories from Porthcawl here and subscribe to our Bridgend borough weekly newsletter here.
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