Council continues pushing for Barry Waterfront improvements
The Vale of Glamorgan Council continues to press construction firms to deliver a range of community facilities linked to the housing development at Barry Waterfront.
In August, the Council announced that it was considering legal action against the Waterfront Consortium, made up of national housebuilders Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes, over severe delays in providing these components of the scheme.
Since then, work to serve the consortium with an injunction has begun, which will seek to prevent the sale of any more houses until the issues are addressed.
Council Leader Lis Burnett, Chief Executive Rob Thomas and other senior staff also met a large number of waterfront residents at Academy Espresso bar to fully understand their frustrations.
The Council has subsequently met with the Waterfront Consortium twice a month in a concerted effort to make significant and swift progress on the matters that need addressing.
That has led to road surfacing, building, planting, landscaping and other work taking place alongside significant developments regarding the District Centre, a premises for restaurants and shops.
Cllr Burnett said: “I’m pleased that we finally seem to make making some headway when it comes to delivering long-overdue community aspects of the development at Barry Waterfront.
“Having met with waterfront residents, we understand first-hand the difficulties they are facing and share their dissatisfaction at an unacceptable situation that has gone on for far too long.
“In regular meetings, we have made our strength of feeling clear to the developers in no uncertain terms and, though the message finally seems to be getting through, the Council is not about to throttle back.
“We want all outstanding work completed as quickly as possible and will pursue every available avenue to achieve this. That includes taking legal action, with the developers recently sent communication related to that process.”
Progress on community elements of the Barry Waterfront Development includes:
• Surfacing of Ffordd y Dociau and planning for an arrangement of raised paving blocks there.
• Commissioning of a water feature and surrounding hard surfaced areas between Clos and Lon y Rheilffordd.
• Planting of a new wild seed mix between Clos and Lon y Rheilffordd.
• Paving laid and retaining walls constructed along Dockside Quay.
• Laying of paving at East Quay.
• Removal of significant amounts of earth at East Quay for a park to be created.
• Additional tree planters ordered for the District Centre.
• Planning permission granted to broaden the range of businesses that can occupy space in the District Centre.
• Two stand-alone pods in the District Centre have been transferred to new owners.
The developers have set out a comprehensive programme of works in chart form that allows residents to see the timeline of future activity. This is available on the Council website.