A SCHEME to transform a housing estate’s traditional bonfire site is to press ahead – despite it being subject to a deliberate blaze earlier this month.

Barry firefighters extinguished flames following a call to attended a deliberately lit grass fire on Caldy Close, in Gibbonsdown, around 8.34pm on April 9.

The service requested the Vale Council attend to dispose of a large quantity of refuse fearing it could lead to another incident.

One man who viewed the site, more than an hour before the incident took place, said: “They even had the kitchen sink there. That wasn’t going to burn.”

The Vale Council recently said Communities First was planning a £20,000 transformation of the grassy area which involved planting UK native wild cherry blossom trees and installing stepping stones as part of the Tranquil, Greener and Cleaner Places Grants 2013-14.

But residents argued the annual November 5 fire would not be so easily doused out of the residents’ event calendar and that the money would be better spent on things residents needed.

Work was anticipated to have begun the first week of March and Barry Communities First cluster manager, Colin Davies said local consultation on this issue had witnessed no objections to the proposal on the grounds that there would no longer be a space for a communal bonfire on that piece of ground.

Mr Davies said: “Council officers have undertaken an initial assessment of the site. At this stage we have no reason to believe that the fire will prevent us from carrying out the planned environmental improvements.”