BRIDGEND Council has agreed to start looking for contractors to work on the refurbishment of Porthcawl’s Grand Pavilion.
The £18m project could see the development of new facilities at the Grade II-listed building, including function spaces on the Esplanade level, along with new rooftop function and café spaces.
There would also be a new studio theatre, business incubation or workshop spaces at the street level, and increased welfare facilities including a changing places facility.
It came after announcements earlier this year, where officers and members described the race to start work before the UK Government Levelling Up Funding was lost.
This was due to conditions of the Levelling Up grant, which said it would have to be finished by the spring of 2025, with the expectation that a contractor would be in place and work started by the spring of 2024.
However, officers at a cabinet meeting on November 21, said they had now received an extension on this time-line until March of 2026, following discussions with the Levelling Up monitoring team.
A council spokesperson said: “The design work has moved to an advanced stage and the project is working towards a “design freeze” in December to the evaluate the work so far. A cost advisor has also recently been appointed to support the procurement process and to work alongside the design team.
“The tender process will now determine the cost and programme of the works which will inform the decision by cabinet to award any contract. A future report will also be taken to cabinet and council to set out the financial implications of the redevelopment.”
Cllr Rhys Goode added: “It’s pleasing to see that plans for the redevelopment of the iconic Porthcawl Grand Pavilion are continuing to progress. This will help to safeguard the building for generations to come and to deliver the best facilities possible for our local community.
“Procurement forms a vital part of a project of this scale and it’s important that we go through this detailed process to ensure ‘value for money’ prior to the award of any contract.”
