Waterfront plan ‘flawed’ (From Barry And District News)

Waterfront plan ‘flawed’

8:40am Thursday 18th June 2009 in Search

REGARDING the Waterfront plans on display last week.

The planning authorities are trying to create a new future for Barry with the equivalent of having one eye shut.

Their proposed redevelopment plan for the Barry Waterfront is fundamentally flawed.

It is strategic nonsense not to include the whole of Barry Island in its review. By only planning for part of the area it fails to deliver the full potential of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Barry, the Waterfront, and the Island.

It is not possible to make a sensible strategic review of the area without taking into consideration the needs and potential of the Island, in particular with regard to the fairground site and the derelict eastern corner of the seafront.

The new Waterfront plan for example, sees the disappearance of the existing overflow car park area for the Island.

The plan contains no major civic building to act as a museum or visitor attraction. Instead, it offers more residential and a low quality retail park, with yet another supermarket – Barry already has a good supply of superstores and the last thing the traders on High Street and Holton Road want is another superstore.

The plans include a much-needed hotel. Yet even this is proposed to be located a street away from any waterside site, undermining the potential of a high quality visitor experience. Instead, we will end up with a low budget chain, with a low quality offer.

With creative vision, funds could be created for a civic museum, such as a Coastal Life and Climate Change Centre, by using the profits from selling-off the premium Council-owned land occupied by the Old Harbour car park (but still retain harbour-side public access), with a larger visitor car park relocated in the current overspill area.

By looking at the strategic future of the area with the equivalent of just one eye, the resulting plan is blind to realising the full potential of Barry Island and the Waterfront.

Andy Green Pioden For Nells Point Barry Island