The Consortium behind the proposed £230million Barry Waterfront scheme has submitted its planning application to the Vale Council for the new Barry Island link road.
The road will run through the centre of the Waterfront development and, in addition to providing a direct route to Barry Island, will also provide access to the new development, including a new primary school, district centre and café quarter, waterside public realm, park areas and new housing.
The £5million link road has been designed by the Consortium’s specialist traffic consultants to accommodate both traffic to Barry Island and the new development and will form an extension to the existing Ffordd-y-Mileniwm distributor road.
Richard Keogh, speaking on behalf of the Barry Waterfront Consortium, says: “Ffordd-y-Mileniwm has been criticised for its lack of pedestrian crossing facilities, so we were determined that our proposals include elements which would make the area safe for pedestrians and cyclists to cross, linking both sides of the road to one another.
“From our original public exhibition and consultation work, through to our more recent meetings with local interest groups, we know just how important the link road is to people living in and around the area.
“This is a crucial part of the Waterfront scheme and the fact that we have submitted plans for the link road ahead of the outline application decision indicates our commitment to the project.”
The link road forms a key part of the Consortium’s scheme which, according to an economic impact study carried out by Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners, will create up to 1,300 jobs across south east Wales, almost two-thirds of which will be based in the local area, and a further estimated 1,700 person-years of construction employment over a nine-year build period.
Keogh continues: “As well as providing a fantastic boost for jobs in the area at a time when the economic climate is still unsteady, our scheme also represents a major private investment in the regeneration of Barry.
“By providing Barry with a quality waterside public realm, primary school and district centre, our scheme opens the door to further investment in the local area, and follows nicely on the back of the news that Barry is to receive £9m from the Welsh Assembly Government as a Strategic Regeneration Area.
“The outline application is still being considered by Council officers, and we do hope to receive a positive decision soon so we can immediately begin working to bring all the economic, practical and aesthetic benefits of our scheme to Barry.”