NEWS PLACEMAKING IN PORTHCAWL Thanks to everyone who attended the recent drop-in sessions at the Grand Pavilion and provided valuable feedback on the council’s placemaking plans. With exhibition boards offering full details now in place at Cosy Corner and also available to view at the council website, there is still time to give your views and help inform our draft placemaking strategy. Among the potential opportunities that we want to explore as part of this are a modern multi-storey car park at Hillsboro Place, a luxury spa waterfront hotel, landscaping and pedestrianisation along the Eastern Promenade, a multi-million Metro bus link, the extension of Dock Street, fresh community space and much more. We remain extremely ambitious for delivering realistic, sustainable regeneration in Porthcawl. Placemaking is all about organisations, businesses and communities working closely together to deliver balanced development which meets local needs as well as planning criteria and legislative requirements. We want this to be a meaningful, worthwhile process which contributes towards our aspirations for Porthcawl, both as a visitor destination and as somewhere to live and work, so please view the exhibition boards at Cosy Corner or online at www.bridgend.gov.uk and provide your feedback so that we can work towards making these opportunities a reality. COUNCILLOR CHARLES SMITH Cabinet Member for Education and Regeneration Bridgend County Borough Council Tel: 01656 643643 www.bridgend.gov.uk
REGENERATION FUNDS FOR SALT LAKE Making sure our local communities have the investment they need to thrive is something I am so passionate about as your representative for Bridgend and Porthcawl. And the upcoming regeneration funds for Salt Lake are a real opportunity for Porthcawl. That’s why I hosted a community event to hear from local people about ideas that matter to them – what they want the regeneration to look like. The Porthcawl Regen Dragon’s Den event was at the Hi Tide Inn, with a panel of judges including special guest DJ Lee Jukes. They rated ideas by local businesses, organisations and societies. I always want to hear from people in the community what ideas they have to support businesses, create new homes and attract tourists to Porthcawl. That’s why I put on the event, to hear a wide range of voices from across the community about how the regeneration can benefit everyone in Porthcawl. Investing in our local communities across Bridgend and Porthcawl is vital. That’s why I want to hear from you what your ideas are – if you want to get in touch please contact sarah. murphy@senedd.wales SARAH MURPHY MS Member of the Senedd for Bridgend
Email us your views info@seasidenews.co.uk
NEW GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE WORKS TO TAKE PLACE It’s great to see that 10 local nature reserves, parks and outdoor areas in Bridgend County Borough are set to benefit from a £580,000 Welsh Government ‘green spaces’ grant. Wilderness Lake in Porthcawl, Frog Pond Wood Local Nature Reserve in Pyle, Bedford Park Local Nature Reserve, Parc Tir Iarll in Llangynwyd, Parc Calon Lan in Blaengarw, the Ogmore Washeries and Aberfields in Ogmore Vale, Tremains Wood Local Nature Reserve and Brackla Hill, Maesteg Welfare Park and Craig y Parcau in Bridgend will all share in the new funding. Part of the Cwm Taf Nature Network Project, the scheme is designed to create a partnership of organisations who will manage green infrastructure for the benefit of local people, businesses and communities. Improvement and regeneration work will be carried out to enhance access to high-quality green spaces, and engagement with communities will take place to develop plans for providing more ‘early years’ learning spaces. People will also be encouraged to think about how they interact with nature, and to discover what is on their doorstep. We have all come to recognise the importance and value of green spaces during the Covid-19 pandemic, and this project will be of great benefit as we seek to promote greater awareness. COUNCILLOR HYWEL WILLIAMS Deputy Leader Bridgend County Borough Council Tel: 01656 643643 www.bridgend.gov.uk
MORE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES Thanks to £2.87m investment from the Cardiff Capital Region City Deal, plans are moving ahead to introduce charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across Bridgend County Borough. The first round of this will focus on candidate sites at the John Street and Hillsboro Place car parks, Salt Lake, West Drive, Mallards Way and along the Eastern Promenade. It also includes the Rhiw multi-storey, Innovation Centre, Pencoed park and rides and car parks at Brackla Street, Tondu Road, Tremains Road, Neath Road and Maesteg town centre. Each site is currently being assessed, and more details will be available soon. In other news, county borough businesses are showcasing their festive products online this Christmas as part of a festive drive to encourage residents to shop locally. A Digital Christmas website and app have been made available where businesses can advertise their products for free, and shoppers can take advantage of special offers, promotions, discount codes, competitions and more. You can also visit the Digital Christmas website for a virtual flight through Santa’s grotto, and a virtual meet-and-greet with Santa’s reindeer. Finally, there is just enough room left for me to wish all residents a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year – see you in 2022. COUNCILLOR HUW DAVID Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council Tel: 01656 643643 www.bridgend.gov.uk
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