Author Topic: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment  (Read 408446 times)

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Offline BMD

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #435 on: May 20, 2013, 02:32:06 pm »
Nice! I think that's what's known as "damning evidence".  ;)

Offline romanjohn

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #436 on: May 20, 2013, 06:05:31 pm »
Photos  dont lie well done that man with the camera. romanjohn


Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #437 on: May 20, 2013, 06:08:10 pm »
The beach is great, the rest is a total waste of money that should have been spent on the pier!  &shake&
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Offline Nemesis

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #438 on: May 20, 2013, 06:37:31 pm »
Just let's hope that none of the pier falls off and lands on someone !
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Offline Yorkie

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #439 on: May 20, 2013, 06:59:17 pm »
Mrs and I had a quick shufti at the new water sports centre this afternoon.  Plenty of parking, although despite the expensively painted parking bays, one idiot decided to block the access road!  Didn't think much of the place, doors to the internal area was locked, so that remains a secret yet to be discovered.  We'll have another look once it is operating.   ZXZ
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #440 on: May 20, 2013, 08:34:42 pm »
Just let's hope that none of the pier falls off and lands on someone !
The Pier has been fenced off again now, so should be ok.

Offline Nemesis

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #441 on: May 21, 2013, 08:44:40 am »
Looks well ! :-X
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Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #442 on: May 21, 2013, 08:51:58 am »
Can you imagine how truly wonderful our North Shore would look like topped up with all that sand?


Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #443 on: May 21, 2013, 10:06:47 am »
Just be grateful that you do not have the hideous waterfront development on Llandudno's seafront!
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Offline Linda

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #444 on: May 21, 2013, 10:53:48 pm »
Looks well ! :-X

Yes ,shame about the Pier , how nice would Colwyn bay beach look without it. The trouble is now with the Waterfront there having a
Pier as well looks too cluttered on the promenade. I think another construction like the waterfront without the building would look more in keeping as Colwyn bay (the beach) is quite attractive ,but if you put too many structures that dont match up along the front and it will look odd. If the Waterfront had been designed more in a victorian style then ok with a pier but not now unless they restore the pier  to match in with the waterfront buildings.
Glad they have put a barrier to stop people going under the pier, safety all important but looks so bad for visitors.

Offline viv

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #445 on: May 21, 2013, 11:42:38 pm »
The whole Bay would be uncluttered without the Pier - it would be a lovely view right across to Rhos and the lower prom would be lighter too.The Pier pressure group were out at the weekend getting their petition signed - I admire them for trying, but I can't agree that their plans are sustainable and any grant would be a waste of money. The Waterfront was done as a Sea defence initiative in the first place, and to give a focus to the actual watersports so that they didn't clash with other beach users -it made sense to extend the idea into a modern facility for everyone to use. I rather like the idea of a modern sea front, and keeping the older architecture in the town, but not everyone agrees with that, and I wouldn't try to change their minds because there are strong feelings either way.

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #446 on: May 22, 2013, 07:07:00 am »
Once again, as with the Maggie Thatcher discussion we will have to disagree! The new beach and sea defences are great, but the building inside and out is hideous! It could have been an amazing modern design, instead it looks like about ten people who never met designed each part. Now you want the pier gone too because it does not fit in! Surely anything new should fit in with that which already exists! Old and new designs can compliment each other very well if the new is well designed, sadly that is not the case here! I had a good look around it on Saturday and everyone I spoke to thought the same!  &shake&
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Offline DaveR

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #447 on: May 22, 2013, 09:18:56 am »
All to often, with buildings such as these, we end up with a design meant to win a competition, rather than being the most suitable design for the site. This is certainly the case with Porth Eirias, a complete mish mash of ideas that was expensive to build and (more relevantly) will be expensive to maintain. Some aspects of the exterior (the glass walls) work well but the zinc block facing out to sea is a blunt disaster and the shape of the building leads to the layout inside feeling cramped, awkward and poorly utilised. Having the childrens' play area in a location making it invisible from both inside the building and from both sides of the Prom is a terrible idea, surely it will become a meeting place for the local alcoholics wanting to stay out of sight?

A simpler modern design (maybe a curved glass fronted two storey building to take full advantage of the sea views) would have cost maybe half the cost to build and would have been far cheaper to maintain over its lifetime. An example image is shown below:

Offline Bri Roberts

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #448 on: May 22, 2013, 11:49:23 am »
The reception desk in the new building was empty when we were there on Saturday.

In hindsight, I think County Councillors from the Colwyn Bay area missed a trick and could have manned this desk on a rota over the weekend to answer questions from their constituents.

.

Offline BMD

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Re: Colwyn Bay Waterfront Redevelopment
« Reply #449 on: May 22, 2013, 12:22:56 pm »
I disagree with Viv, here. A small minority of people seem opposed to the pier's planned renovation. This goes back to before the Waterfront building, when the pier was in better condition than now. Back in 2011, councillor John Davies was quoted by the Pioneer as saying he didn't think the renovation was "feasible". A few others have been saying the same thing, going further back, when the pier was in even better condition.

What's the basis for this "unfeasible" claim? I don't see any such basis beyond mere opinion. (But perhaps I'm wrong - please let me know of any analyses/reports which declare its unfeasibility). Even now, in its current rotting state, I'm told that the experts say the structure is still sound, and that it's perfectly feasible to renovate, given sufficient funding. This is what the lottery bid is about, no?

Hastings pier has received lottery funding to be restored. It's in a worse condition than Colwyn Bay pier, due to being burnt down: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2012/nov/19/hastings-pier-lottery-grant

And I don't understand the "uncluttered" argument. Remove any pier, and the result is less "clutter". Follow that logic, and we should get rid of all piers, so we can have uncluttered coastal vistas everywhere. Sorry, but I don't really buy it. If we wanted less clutter, why build a large new building before the fate of the pier is decided?

Sea defenses and watersports are one thing. A large, costly, unappealing dumpster-shaped building is another.