BARRY Town Council agreed at a meeting on Monday to seek compulsory powers to purchase 67 acres of land between Claude Road and Port Road West for development as a housing estate.

There was no opposition to the proposal, although the Mayor (Ald. Mrs Megan Gill) had to ask Coun. Ken Miles to “speak to the minute,” when he indulged in an outburst against the recently announced Government proposals.

“We on the side of the Chamber are justifiably concerned at the savage cuts on housing subsidies,” he was saying when the Mayor intervened.

As recently reported in the Barry and District News, the Land Commission was seeking to purchase the land until the Government announced its intention to dissolve the commission.

In a report to the council the Town Clerk (Mr J. Clements Colley) said the Lands Sub-Committee had recently reviewed the situation and an approach had been made to the owners, the Wenvoe Estate, with a view to the council acquiring the land.

The Glamorgan County Council had expressed an interest in certain land for playing field purposes and this land had been excluded from the sale.

At the present time it was still not known whether the figure proposed by the District Valuer was acceptable to the estate, and in view of this the necessary steps were being taken to prepare a compulsory purchase order.

The land was suitable for comprehensive development when the necessary drainage schemes had been completed.

“If the land in question is not acquired by the corporation then for control over its future development reliance would have to be basically placed on planning control exercised by either this authority or by the County Planning Authority,” and the Town Clerk.

“If the land were to be split up into smaller parcels it may be difficult – and our previous experience supports this view – to maintain effective control over the developments of the area as a whole.”

Coun. E. G. Hellstrom, chairman of the Finance Committee and the Lands Sub-Committee, who moved that compulsory powers be sought, said the land was ideal for development and the Land Commission had wished to share out the land in a satisfactory way so that it would be developed privately in the way the Government wished.

The present Government also wished development to go ahead and they could develop the land attractively for private housing.

The surrounding properties were of fairly high value and he thought such development would tend to raise the value of those houses, not lower them.

The development was conditional upon completion of the Western Drainage Scheme.

Ald. Brinley Williams said he was in full agreement with the acquisition of the land, but asked for consideration of certain smallholders who were worried about their future.

Coun. Hellstrom said it was not certain at this stage whether the council would sell the freehold.

Ald. Williams said he felt sure that when compulsory purchase order was made these smallholders would name some approach to the council.