By Richard Evans

Copyright dailypost

Colwyn Bay’s seafront Porth Eirias development is continuing to weigh heavily on the council’s finances – leading to one councillor suggesting “all options” should be on the table “including closure”. At a Conwy Council economy and place scrutiny meeting yesterday evening (Wednesday), councillors heard how the 2024/25 accounts show the building cost the council £210,000, which was £84,000 more than budgeted.

Part of the shortfall is due to a lack of rental income, with only one commercial unit, the Bryn Williams at Porth Eirias restaurant, currently occupied and two units pending approval from the Crown Estate and two others being actively advertised.

Even if all units were let, the net cost would still be £160,000 – way above the £126,000 budget, though recently introduced parking fees could raise an additional £10,000.

Councillors heard how there had been problems “getting hold of the Crown Estate” who lease the land Porth Eirias is built on. Opened in 2013 as part of the flood defence scheme, Porth Eirias has struggled to attract tenants due to lease restrictions, limited infrastructure, and layout issues.

Selling the building is not an option due to the Crown Estate lease, which runs to 2060. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox.

Councillors voted in favour of noting the findings of the report but have requested a more detailed report within six months. The controversy follows the authority upping council tax by nearly 10% for three years running.

Llandudno councillor Louise Emery said the project was never commercially viable. “And I think the basis of it is that the business case probably never stacked up for Porth Eirias because of the configuration of the building, because we got Bryn (chef Bryn Williams), obviously, and we were probably a little bit starry-eyed at the time, but I get it,” she said.

“But the other spaces have just not been able to work; the water sports centre perhaps wasn’t run as efficiently as it could have been, but it is also a very difficult location because of the off-shore wind; it is not the easiest location to actually use as a sailing centre.

“So I think there somehow has to be some accountability and whether that is with the politicians at the time, who were obviously only going off what the officers were telling them, because we don’t want to make this mistake again, because this is such a drain on Sarah Ecob’s (head of economy and culture) budget, and I don’t see how it is ever going to be cost-neutral, let alone make a profit.”

Cllr Tom Montgomery then said that “council tax payers have been left carrying the burden” of the project.

Cllr Harry Saville added: “I remember when I was a pretty new councillor in 2016, sitting in a full council meeting at Bodlondeb and listening to the then-cabinet making announcements before the meeting, and problems with the commercial future of Porth Eirias were being raised back then, nine years ago.

“So it is concerning that we still haven’t got a grip on this.” He then said Porth Eirias was a “financial drain” on the authority and called for a new updated report to come back in six months.

Cllr Saville then criticised the council for pushing ahead with moving Llandudno library from the town centre to save money whilst spending on Porth Eirias, which he referred to as “a vanity project”.

Cabinet member for culture, governance, and IT and former Conwy leader Cllr Dilwyn Roberts said: “What I’m hoping now is that we can look forward. What has happened in the past has happened.

“It is in the past. I’m not condoning at all, but my job in this portfolio now is to try and look forward and try and get something more positive to present to you in the future.”

Cllr Charlie McCoubrey, who this week announced he was standing down next month as leader, said Conwy needed to “learn lessons” but added it was a “different world” from 2013.

Cllr Cheryl Carlisle added: “The council tax payers can’t be expected to fund this. We’ve had some eye-watering rises.”

Cllr Gail Jones said: “Years ago, long before I was a councillor, the residents were sold Porth Eirias as a place where they could go, where they’d be able to use the toilets, use the changing rooms, get a coffee, get an ice cream, a bit of food, and that hasn’t happened.

“We’ve got one tenant at the moment, and it seems to be all the eggs in one basket. It feels like we are being dictated to by the one tenant.

“He is a high-end restaurant. Is there any idea of having some food concessions in there, which will serve the people off the beach? We’ve all seen how busy the beach is. We are losing out on that.”

She then suggested it wouldn’t be competition for the restaurant if Porth Eirias had somewhere where you could buy ice creams “with sand all over you”.

She added: “You are saying there are (public) toilets across the road. So you are getting young children having to walk across the road, and it is a busy road. That is not fair. The residents have been sold short. Residents don’t use it (Porth Eirias) generally.”

Head of economy and culture Ms Sarah Ecbob responded: “We as the county agreed a lease with Bryn Williams and his company, and in that lease there is an agreement that there won’t be any other food outlets. That is not him dictating to us. That is a lease we agreed as a council.”

Cllr Chris Hughes said it was “very clear” Porth Eirias toilets were designed as public toilets. The report itself acknowledged ”ongoing issues” with the toilets with “notices in the entrance” to Porth Eirias “directing members of the public to the Dingle public toilets across the road” on West Promenade.

Cllr Hughes said the “Dingle” toilets hadn’t been refurbished because it was part of the original bid that Porth Eirias’ toilets were to be public facilities before the decision was reversed in 2018.

“The residents I speak to are really not happy about having to use the toilets on the opposite side of the road, which are not fit for purpose, and being told they can’t use toilets in a public building when, not that long ago, we put it out on social media that the members of the public would be able to use council-owned public buildings.”

Cllr Hughes then said he insisted on using Porth Eirias’ toilets, despite the fact they were reserved for customers’ use.

He added: “I make a point of going in there and using the toilets. I will not be turned away.”

He added the public toilets across the road were an “absolute disgrace” and that the council should be “ashamed” of operating them.

Cllr Paul Luckock said: “Hard conclusions need to be reached and difficult decisions need to be put before us as politicians.”

Cllr Simon Croft called the amount spent over budget “staggering” and added: “It is a shame really, but we do have to look at all the options in view of the amount of expenditure we are spending on this place.”

He said he wanted to see a breakdown of the costs, adding: “We do need to bring all the options to the table, including closure, and what the implications of that would be.” A more detailed report is set to return within six months.

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