A new £5m (US$7.55m, €5.83m) watersport development has been launched on the Colwyn Bay waterfront in north Wales.

The development features the new Porth Eirias building, which has been constructed on a one hectare (107,639sq ft, 10,000 sq m) platform on top of a groyne. Built by local company Wynne Construction, it will provide a hub for watersport activities in Colwyn Bay and will include a bistro, café, changing areas and retail units.

Coastal defence structures in the area have been designed and constructed to allow the new facilities along the sea front to be improved. 500,000 tonnes of sand have also been imported, offering protection to the sea wall at a cost of £6m (US$9m, €7m).

"The developments mean that the promenade is now a destination for a wide range of visitors, whether they take part in watersports, spend the day on the beach, take a family walk or experience dining in the bistro," said Councillor Graham Rees, Conwy's cabinet member for tourism, marketing and leisure.

The whole complex will be officially opened later this year, but has already been labelled a vital new development for the town.