‘Give town a £20m share of land cash’

Feb 29 2008 by Peter Collins, South Wales Echo

HOPES of an extra £20m being pumped into redevelopment projects in Barry as a result of the success of its waterfront complex have been given a boost.

A petition signed by more than 200 business leaders and residents in the town calling for a third of the £60m raised from the sale of land at the Barry Waterfront to be used on regeneration of the rest of the town, will be presented to Assembly Members on Wednesday.

It has now been backed by Plaid Cymru AMs and will go before the Senedd’s Petitions Committee in May.

The petition was organised by Paul Haley, chairman of the Pride in Barry group.

The group has highlighted an estimated £60m in revenue from the sale of land at Barry Waterfront which has gone into the National Assembly’s coffers.

Pride in Barry says some of that cash should be spent on regeneration projects in Barry.

Mr Haley said: “We were delighted with the response we had to our petition at the Senedd on Wednesday. We have always said that some of the money should come back to Barry.”

He said that if £20m had been returned to Barry last year, it might have prevented the financial collapse of plans to build a “tourism university” on the site of the former Butlins holiday camp, on Nell’s Point, Barry Island.

“We have a list of regeneration programmes for Barry. I hope to address the Petitions Committee in May and put our case for the money to be returned to Barry.”

Plaid Cymru AM Chris Franks, who is also a Vale of Glamorgan councillor, said: “I raised this issue last October when I hosted a meeting at the Assembly. The proceeds of public land should be partly re-invested in Barry town as has happened in Swansea and Newport. Barry should not be discriminated against. Barry should get a fair share of the money for re-development.”

His colleague, Leanne Wood, said: “This is an important campaign and this money would be an extra boost for Barry. There is a strong case for more investment in Barry.”

peter.collins@mediawales.co.uk