About the Rhos-On-Sea proposals

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COASTAL DEFENCES

The coastal defences include a new rock groyne structure and adding sand to the beach. The beach height will be increased by about 5 metres at the seawall with approximately 1 million tonnes of imported gold sand pumped on to the beach via offshore dredging. This is the same approach that we used for Colwyn Bay beach in Phase 1c.

Colwyn Bay Waterfront Phase 2b (PDF, 19978KB)

The new rock groyne will use material from existing rock groyne structures and rock armour, which would otherwise be buried beneath the new beach. Reusing this material means we don’t have to import more rock material.

The finished groyne will be higher and wider and will have a new arm added to create a fish tail design, which will reduce the risk of sand backwashing into the harbour.

This will provide a beach which is accessible at all times of the tide.

To protect the promenade from damage from overtopping waves, on the land side of the seawall, a 2 metre wide reinforced concrete strip will provide a robust surface that can withstand the coastal environment.

PROMENADE IMPROVEMENTS

As well as improving the coastal defences, we want to make improvements to the promenade to maximise the benefits of the scheme.

Widening the promenade will give all users more room, allowing for Active Travel, family fun and recreational activities.

The upgraded promenade will feature:

4 metre wide shared space for cyclists and pedestrians to improve safety
Activity zone with benches, planters, trees, play equipment and bins
Event spaces with feature paving
Public art feature near Combermere Gardens
Health markers – showing distance travelled from Colwyn Bay pier

Lighting

The proposals include a new efficient lighting scheme for the area, in keeping with previous phases of the Waterfront scheme.

Planting

New waterfront planting will include:

Low and raised planters with groundcover planting
Trees in raised planters along the activity zone

Street Furniture

New street furniture will suit different users, activities and group sizes, with:

Picnic furniture
Benches
Play furniture
Cycle stands

Shelters

The proposals include new shelters to replace the existing ones. The upgraded shelters will provide a new, safe and accessible space to rest or escape the elements.

The shelters include new features such as solar power lighting and an accessible design.

Water Fountain

The historic water fountain, currently located south of Rhos Harbour, will be relocated to the new activity zone. If possible, we aim to provide a new water supply to the fountain.

Concession Kiosks

To allow wider space on the promenade for cyclists and pedestrians, the existing outdated kiosks on West Promenade will be removed. We are looking for funding to relocate and upgrade the kiosks – this construction will be under a separate scheme, but we have included the necessary space and utilities as part of this proposal.

Public feedback

We received a large amount of feedback about the two post-war kiosks on this section of the promenade. Most of the feedback we received supported keeping the kiosks in their current form or making sure that funding was in place for replacements before demolishing the existing units. People emphasised that the kiosks provide more than just sandwiches and a hot drink, they provide a valued service to the community, and a space for the community to meet.

Update - December 2021:

We are applying for around £14m of Welsh Government funding for coastal defences for Rhos on Sea. This funding requires us to have a scheme ready by March 2022.

The plans include the space and utilities for new kiosks and we are still looking for funding to replace the kiosks. The project team has submitted a business case for replacement kiosks to be funded directly by Conwy County Borough Council if we haven’t secured grant funding before demolition work is scheduled to start.

Update – May 2022:

We have secured funding to replace the existing kiosks with modern facilities.

The locations of the new kiosks are shown on the plan numbered 11 and 12.

ROADS AND ACCESS

The proposals include changes to traffic flows to:

give space to widen the promenade to increase safety for pedestrians and cyclists
improve road safety following an increase in road traffic accidents along the promenade road

The promenade road along the bottom of the Cayley Embankment will be reduced to one lane of traffic, heading towards Colwyn Bay only. Cayley Promenade road will remain two-way.

The plans include:

changes to the layout of the junctions at either end of Cayley Embankment
new speed reducing features on West Promenade
pedestrian crossing points on West Promenade and Cayley Promenade

These changes will improve access for everyone along West Promenade, creating a safe and accessible public space and active travel route.

One way system

Public feedback

We received comments about the proposed one way system including asking about the reasons for the change, questions around noise, pollution and safety along Cayley promenade, and a number of suggestions for what we could do differently.

Why is a one-way system needed?

Although the main focus of this scheme is coastal protection, there is also an opportunity to provide wider benefits to the local area, in line with the requirements of the Wellbeing of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

Previous phases of the Colwyn Bay Waterfront Project successfully provided improvements by widening the promenade at Colwyn Bay. These included widening National Cycle Route 5, event spaces, public art, a climbing wall, planting, and the Horizon Shine café building.

We want to provide similar additional benefits along the Rhos on Sea section. The plans include:

continuing the wider shared path
seating areas
new shelters
plants and trees
wheelchair accessible picnic tables
foot wash or shower facilities for beach users
open event space areas
small playground areas (see the updated visuals)
sensory play elements and PECS boards

To provide all these benefits, we need to widen the narrow promenade. In previous phases, this extra width was provided as the seawall was rebuilt, but the seawall at Rhos on Sea does not need rebuilding. To get the extra width, we considered these options:

Close West Promenade off completely to through traffic, creating a large event space at the centre of the promenade, with car park access from either end. This would have provided the most additional space and maximum improvements to safety along the promenade. It was considered that moving 100% of the through traffic onto Cayley Promenade would have been unfair to those residents.

Remove all the parking spaces along the embankment side of West Promenade. This would have allowed the two lanes to move landwards, creating extra width along the promenade. It was considered that removing such a high number of parking spaces would lead to more vehicles parking in the neighbouring residential area, causing traffic flow and safety issues on the residential roads.

Build a large retaining wall structure along the bottom of the Cayley Embankment to develop additional width. This option was not economically viable because of the large amount of civil engineering work along such a long section that would have been needed.

The current proposals for a one way system represent a practical compromise. By moving just one lane of traffic from West Promenade onto the parallel road, we can widen the prom enough to provide safety improvements and wider benefits, while mitigating the effects on residents of Cayley Promenade and the surrounding area.

* Update *

During the previous consultation, residents raised concerns about pedestrian safety heading to the promenade from the nearby residential area. We have added three new pedestrian crossings to allow residents to safely cross Cayley Promenade. These are shown on the updated plans at Llannerch Road East, Ebberston Road East, and at Whitehall Road.

ECOLOGY

The proposals include a change to the grassland management to improve the biodiversity value of Cayley Embankment and benefit butterflies, bees, birds and small mammals.

View the plans

The plans can be viewed in hard copy at Colwyn Bay Library, see here for opening times: Colwyn Bay Library.

You can see additional supporting documents at Colwyn Bay Library, or you can request electronic versions. These documents include the Design & Access Statement, Environmental Statement, an updated Flood Consequence Assessment following the recent changes to TAN-15, and technical appendices and plans.