SHADOW First Minister Nick Bourne and fellow Tory Assembly Members last week took a tour of Barry.

The team are the first group of Assembly politicians to visit the town, in response to an invitation from campaign group Pride In Barry.

Vale AMs David Melding and Andrew Davies, together with colleague Alun Cairns, stopped off to see where Welsh Assembly funding, Welsh Development Agency money and other grants had already been spent – and to discuss ways they could help achieve £20million of funding, over ten years, to aid Barry's regeneration.

Pride In Barry chairman, Paul Haley welcomed the wide-ranging debate which took place at the Vale Council's Dock Offices on Tuesday (August 19).

"We were able to show that Barry can produce wonderful, well-used facilities when we are given proper funding," he said.

"We discussed the potential opportunities that Barry presented and are contained within the Barry Delivery Plan.

"We then examined Barry's position in attracting monies as compared against the Heads of the Valleys, which has similar legacy problems."

Alun Cairns added: "Our formal meeting with the Local Authority and Pride in Barry was excellent.

"We all agreed the importance of Barry to the region and how it is vital that we regain £20m for the town after the sale of our land by Welsh Assembly Government.

"As Conservative leader in the Assembly, I was delighted that Nick Bourne agreed to make this issue central to our plans after the summer recess.

"The Conservative council was represented by Councillors Rhodri Traherne and Jeff James, Cabinet members for Regeneration and Planning respectively.

"Together with Pride in Barry, we all recognised that Barry misses out on so many fronts; EU finding, Grant support and through WAG's poor council tax funding.

"As an Assembly team, we agreed to make Barry a priority.

"I am sure that by working in a co-ordinated approach, we can get the level of funding that Barry deserves," he added.

"So much has been achieved over recent years with The Hub and the Library as just two examples.

"If we get the £20m that Pride in Barry are calling for, imagine what could then be made of the town."

Assembly Government opposition leader Nick Bourne AM concluded: "Barry tends to be the forgotten front.

"We are really dealing with several Valleys-like problems in the area.

"Welsh Conservatives will be concentrating on the Assembly Spatial plan and scrutinising Leighton Andrews' statement on regeneration monies very carefully, to make sure that the area gets the best deal possible so real progress can be achieved."

Their visit comes ahead of the Assembly's Enterprise and Learning Committee's visit due in October this year.