PLANS TO work on Colwyn Bay’s flood defences have been welcomed by a town councillor, who has branded them “excellent news” and a boost for tourism.
Cllr Brian Cossey, a representative of Colwyn Ward, has praised plans by Conwy County Council to invite contractors to bid for a contract to carry out work on the town’s coastal defences, as part of its £28m Colwyn Bay waterfront project.
The defences will receive £5m worth of work under the Bay Life+ programme.
Mr Cossey said “At long last, sea defences and environmental work will start.
Some remedial work was done on the defences about twenty years ago, and some of them have been there since the Victorian era.
“People are desperate to see the regeneration process start, and this is the beginning of a revamp of Colwyn Bay. The whole of the Bay will benefit with this.”
He added that this would help prevent incidents of closure to sections of the Promenade.
“The sea defences were undermined in March, which meant that the Prom in Old Colwyn had to be closed. This will put a stop to all that.”
Thousands of pounds of remedial work had to be carried out on the prom following the spring storm.
Proposals for environmental work, such as new kiosks and work on the Promenade, would also boost tourism revenue in Colwyn Bay.
The contract, which will start in December, with completion aimed for March 31, 2011, will involve retaining existing walls and modifying coastal defence structures already in place.
Grant funding is being provided by the council through the European Regional Development Fund with match funding provided by the Welsh Assembly Government.
Tenders should be submitted by 4pm on October 4.