Penarth Placemaking Plan

A shared vision for Penarth’s future

Our placemaking plan for the future of Penarth reflects the positive momentum of what’s already bubbling in the town. Rather than a top-down directive, the focus is to support existing ideas and help local people and organisations make good things happen.

The Brief

Penarth is already seen as a successful place. It’s a historic coastal town with a vibrant centre, beautiful seafront, strong community, and it’s just a quick commute to the centre of Cardiff.

Our task was to help the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Penarth Town Council navigate the challenges of growth while holding on to what makes Penarth special, ensuring any change strengthens the things people already value.

Listening First

We picked up where the Council’s Creative Communities team left off. Building on their engagement with local residents, schools, businesses, and community organisations, we extended the outreach to fill in the gaps, find the unheard voices, and truly understand what people felt was working well – and what wasn’t.

From business owners in the town centre to community groups operating from sports clubs on the outskirts, every conversation helped shape the priorities of the plan.

What Does Penarth Need Next?

Following the engagement, we identified five core objectives that will guide future projects and investment:

• A vibrant town centre and seafront, better connected and animated by a stronger cultural and hospitality offer.
• A sustainable Penarth, with support for biodiversity, climate resilience, and active travel.
• A welcoming public realm, where green space, streets, and small interventions invite people to linger.
• A safer and more accessible town centre for pedestrians and cyclists of all ages and abilities.
• An inclusive Penarth, with a plan shaped by the whole community for the community.

A Flexible, Long-Term Plan

The plan outlines a mix of short, medium and long-term interventions, from practical upgrades to pavements and alleyways, smoother connection between the seafront and the town centre, and imaginative ideas shaped through grassroots engagement.

Examples include greater access to community growing spaces, improving the café offer at Cosmeston Lakes, and a new multi-use events space in the heart of the town centre. There’s also renewed energy behind long-held ambitions to create a town-wide heritage trail.

Equally important are the softer outcomes: encouraging collaboration between groups who don’t always see eye to eye. In some cases, the relationships being built are the real legacy.

Built to Evolve

Approved by the council in 2025, the plan will act as a foundation to shape future bids, coordinate delivery, and guide investment.

Our approach to placemaking has genuinely sought to respond to the unique nuances of Penarth as a place. Rather than imposing top-down, design-led solutions, the majority of proposals are driven by existing and emerging community initiatives.

The first small-scale initiative, an alleyway and street art project, has already been implemented. We hope to build on this momentum by supporting the creation of a community action plan.

The Penarth Placemaking Plan is the latest in a wider programme of regeneration activity across the Vale, with similar plans developed for Barry, Cowbridge, and Llantwit Major.