Residents' plea for Barry Island relief road (From Barry And District News)

Residents' plea for Barry Island relief road

11:10am Thursday 21st March 2013 in News By Sharon Harris

BARRY Island residents are calling on the Barry Waterfont Consortium to build a direct, straight road - linking the £230m The Quays development to Barry Island.

More than 60 residents attended a meeting at Barry Island community centre on Tuesday (March 19) to voice worries to Vale Council regeneration cabinet member, Cllr Lis Burnett and Vale AM and Welsh Government finance minister Jane Hutt.

Resdients say the road is needed to ease congestion as more visitors are expected with summer events.

Barry Island resident and chairman of Barry Island Historical group, Mike Hefferman said: “Why was it not made a concern when they bought the land? Why it is being argued about now?”

Vale MP Alun Cairns - who met developers on March 15 - has written to some residents stating he was advised by the Consortium’s project manager that the first phase of the road would be complete by January 2015.

He said: “I’m disappointed the first phase will only provide access to the planned housing and supermarket. The current plan will mean Phase 1 of the road will not run across to the Island. It is envisaged Phase 2 - joining the road to the Island - will not be complete for another five or seven years from now. This is wholly unacceptable.”

Vale AM Jane Hutt said: “Persimmon have got an obligation to build this road. We want them to do it immediately. They have got to deliver on this.”

Barry Waterfront Consortium spokesman Richard Keogh said during pre-planning talks they agreed to build a road linking Barry town to the Island and road construction would need to be completed before commencement of the second phase of The Quays.

The agreement with the council, he said, balanced the need to deliver the Asda superstore occupying the first parcel of land on the site. He said it would act as a catalyst for further development, an initial allocation of affordable housing and the first 500 private homes, which would fund the road. He said: “The Consortium is already engaged in discussions that could have an impact on timings and phasing of the link road.”

Vale Council director of development services, Rob Thomas said the council was committed to doing everything possible to get the road to the island built at the earliest opportunity.