Funding delight for sport fans (From Barry And District News)

Funding delight for sport fans

HUNDREDS of children and adults will benefit from a 700,000 refurbishment of one of the most popular sporting venues in the Vale.

Parc Bryn-y-Don is used by hundreds of sports people each weekend and during the week - but the facilities are sub-standard.

But that is set to change, and campaigners are celebrating after the funding was agreed by the Vale of Glamorgan Council.

It will mean a major refurbishment at the Dinas Powys site, benefiting football, cricket and rugby clubs who use the fields.

A cricket pavilion, new changing rooms and skateboard facilities will be built with the money.

Former chairman of Dinas Powys Football Club and a leading figure in the rugby and cricket clubs at Bryn-y-Don, Paul Marks said: "We have been fighting for ten years to get the facilities refurbished.

"The changing rooms at the moment are terrible, and insufficient for the amount of people who have to use them.

"They are unhygienic and antiquated. We have no place to store sporting equipment here so it all has to be stored elsewhere.

"It is embarrassing when other clubs come here and we have to use the huts for hospitality." Dinas Powys councillor Chris Williams said: "The project to rebuild the dilapidated changing rooms was long overdue.

"The rugby, cricket and football clubs, in partnership with Dinas Powys councillors, raised a large petition and my colleague Cllr Chris Franks presented it to a Vale council meeting.

"This has been an excellent example of local sports teams and councillors working together for the good of the community.

"The only concern is that the cost of the scheme is now spread over three years - we are continuing to press the Vale Council to commit to finishing the scheme over the original two-year period."

The Vale of Glamorgan Council confirmed that the work will be totally funded by the council.

Leader Cllr Jeffrey James said: "The scheme to improve facilities at Parc Bryn-y-Don was originally based on half being funded by the council and half by a Lottery grant, but unfortunately the bid for Lottery funding was not successful.

"As I had seen first-hand the poor state of the changing and shower facilities at Bryn-y-Don, I have committed the council to finding all of the money needed to make improvements.