Project boards to monitor progress of Vale schemes

Jan 28 2008 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

SPECIAL action teams are to be set up to deal with multi-billion pound plans for the Defence Training Academy at St Athan and the final phase of the Waterfront development in Barry.

Both schemes are seen as being of such vital importance to the Vale of Glamorgan and the surrounding area, that ‘project boards’ are to be set up by the Vale council to handle both plans.

The boards will closely monitor both developments to ensure that any public concerns about them are properly examined.

Detailed plans for the first and most important part of the Defence Training academy at St Athan are expected to be lodged with the Vale council before the end of the year.

Plans for the final phase of the Waterfront development, which should include restaurants and bars, are also expected to be put before the council this year.

The Metrix consortium, which won the contract to build the academy in South Wales, has promised widespread public consultation before detailed plans are presented to the council.

The council team will oversee the public consultation and take on board concerns about infrastructure and the disruption the development might cause in the rural Vale.

The council has already promised to insist that the final phase of the Waterfront development in Barry will include a high proportion of restaurants, bars and leisure facilities.

This will be monitored by the council team amid mounting concern that the Waterfront development could include too much housing at the expense of amenities.

Rob Quick, the Vale council’s director of environmental and economic regeneration, said: “Each development will potentially generate significant economic, environmental and social impacts. For the council to effectively influence the positive regeneration benefits and any potential negative impacts it will require a joined-up approach when dealing with each project.”

Each of the boards would include a manager and a council cabinet member.

The boards would ensure that each council department worked together and, when needed, with the Welsh Assembly Government.

peter.collins@wme.co.uk