RESIDENTS in the town of Porthcawl say they are devastated by the news that their historic seaside funfair will close its doors for the final time this year.
The announcement was made by the owners of Coney Beach Amusement Park earlier this week in a statement that said this season would be its last, with the attraction closing for good in October, 2025.
It came after the Welsh Government purchased parcels of land along the seafront area in 2023, which included the amusement park site and the adjoining section of land known locally as the monster park.
These are set to be part of a mixed-use development that could feature a new housing estate, retail, business facilities, and a new primary school, as well as a number of recreational and leisure opportunities.
However, the announcement of the closure was also met with an outpouring of sadness from many of those who visited the town this week, as well as from a number of local business owners who said their futures were now in a state of uncertainty.
Tony Mottram runs a “bucket and spades” seafront stall just metres away from the iconic fairground, though he said that with the annual lease on his unit ending in October, the current season could also be his last if it isn’t renewed.
He said: “I love it here. For me it’s not just work but a way of life, interacting with people all day, having a laugh and a joke, and there’s a lot of memories.
“When we heard the news this week I think it finally hit home. I’m selling my stuff off at half price, but there’s no way I’ll sell it all.
“Customers are devastated and it won’t just affect the stalls here but people in the town and the shops as well.”
Kym Bateman has run donkey and pony rides along the beach in Porthcawl for over 40 years and said she was very sad about the situation that now felt like the end of an era.
She said: “It’s devastating. Absolutely devastating. Porthcawl is quiet as it is and we all rely on the tourists coming in, but there’s not going to be any tourists if there’s nothing here for them.
“Only finding out yesterday was a big shock as we thought there was going to be another two years. This business has been running for a hundred years in my husband’s family and it goes back generations so for me to have to give it up now would be awful.”
Beach-goers Bill and Susan Emment said they were also saddened by the news, with Susan adding: “I spent all my childhood down here and I used to love to go in the fair to have a look around, spending time with my grandparents. There’s lots of memories and I just can’t believe it’s going.”
Further down the seafront, Parminder Singh, who owns a chip shop, said he could also be forced to close in the coming months when the yearly contract on his stall ran out.
He said: “This is my livelihood and I really enjoy it. We’ve been hearing over the last three years that it was going to go but finally we have the news of the closure and it’s shocking news.
“I can’t even sleep at night. I’ve been doing this job for the last 16 years and I’ve never worked anywhere else or had any other jobs so I don’t know what to do.”
Dave Jones of the Coney Sea-food stall added: “I’ve been here for a while now and there’s been so many rumours that the fair was going that in the end we didn’t believe anything.
“It’s official now that the fairground is closing down for good in October so that leaves a big gap and we don’t really know what comes next to be honest. Until then all I can do is carry on selling my cockles and see what happens.”
Dan Morgan, who travelled to Porthcawl from his home in Swansea, said he hoped people would continue to visit the town even after the fairground’s closure in the coming months, saying: “It’s really sad because I remember coming here as a child with my parents and it’s stood for over 100 years.
“It’s a big attraction to the area and when you think of Porthcawl you think of the fun fair so this is absolutely the end of an era.”
Following the announcement, a spokesperson for Bridgend County Borough Council said: “Coney Beach Amusement Park has been associated with Porthcawl for more than a century and forms an important part of the town’s cultural heritage.
“When the Evans family decided to stop operating the amusement park and sold the site to Welsh Government in March, 2023, it safeguarded the land for use as an essential part of the council’s waterfront regeneration plans for Porthcawl.
“These regeneration plans include a range of all-new opportunities for ensuring that people can continue to have fun at the seaside, so look out for further news on this soon.”
A statement released by the Evans family on the closure said: “It is with heavy hearts we would like to share with you personally that this season at Coney Beach will be our last. We will be closing our gates for the final time this October.
“It’s the end of an era, for over one hundred years we and other showmen and their families have lived and worked in Porthcawl helping to make it a busy seaside destination bringing fun, laughter and fond memories to so many.
“We will miss it greatly and while we are sad to see our time here come to an end we are forever grateful to have had the opportunity to have been part of so many generations of families’ lives, young and old. Thank you for sharing our love of ‘all the fun of the fair’ and the legacy that Coney Beach leaves.”
