Bridgend County Borough Council’s Cabinet have agreed for the Porthcawl Grand Pavilion construction works to go out to tender following the completion of the design process.
The project will improve the condition of the Grade II listed building by addressing the issue of concrete cancer whilst also creating new function rooms, office spaces and cafe facilities. Much needed improvements will also be made to the auditorium and plans also include an accessible “changing places” facility.
Earlier this year, the Council were awarded £18m Levelling Up Funding from the UK Government, following a successful application by the council working in close partnership with Awen Cultural Trust.
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.
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.
Due to the tight timescales set out in the grant award and administrative delays by UK Government, we have also had proactive conversations with the Levelling Up Fund Monitoring team to reach an informal agreement to extend the finance and delivery of the project to March 2026.
Cllr Rhys Goode, Cabinet Member for Housing, Planning and Regeneration
