I WRITE in reference to a letter from Jonathon Osborne, FocusBarry Member dated June 4.

The fiasco surrounding the redevelopment of the vacant land at Nells Point, Barry Island is something that I and others fail to see as any positive reason for the continuing failure by the Vale of Glamorgan council to accept any proposals for new amenities on this vacant land.

The Holiday Camp closed in 1996 amid a legal battle which led to part of the land being sold to Bovis Homes as a housing development, which in turn angered many Island residents also Barry Townsfolk alike and not forgetting of course the local traders/fast food vendors, etc.

I fully support Mr Osborne's opinion on this travesty of justice dished out by a complacent and well passed its sell by date Labour led council.

One of the most ridiculous responses to a proposal came from Cllr Lis Burnett cabinet member for Innovation, Regeneration and Transportation. When I confronted her about the fact that The Caravan Club of Great Britain contacted John Dent the major projects manager for the Vale Council, with a view to landscaping the land and using the majority of the land for a purpose built caravan and Motor home park in 2010.

I have it on good authority that Mr Dent did not even reply to the letter from Mr Barnett of The Caravan Club of Great Britain. That was five years ago and after many years (almost 20 years) of this council throwing away countless hundreds of thousands of pounds on consultants fees for ideas for the resultant use of the land and we still have nothing other than a car park which cost the taxpayer a total of over £860,000.

Cllr Burnett's ridiculous reply was that if the caravan club still wants to come to Barry Island, the door is open for them to contact her or John Dent. Hold on, this councillor prides herself in her entrepreneurship yet she says they must contact her or John Dent again.

I have been involved in many businesses over many years including a long and happy relationship with The Caravan Club of Great Britain. I find it hard to believe in this day and age when a couple turn up on Barry Island driving a £100,000 plus Carthago Motor Home that they spend only 10 minutes on the island because there is nowhere for them to camp. I think you will agree that anyone that can afford to spend that amount of money on a motor home, must also have plenty to spend in Barry and the Island.

The people in question moved on to Rest Bay in Porthcawl and spent two weeks there and probably a good few pounds stimulating Porthcawl's economy when they could have been spending that money in Barry.

Lis Burnett should be contacting the caravan club and not the other way around. That is what entrepreneurship is all about. She actually lectured on the subject so she more than anyone else should know how to conduct a sales presentation but that is obviously not the case. So in a nut shell a total disaster.

Barrie V Evans

Coordinator

Barry First Group