Plans for the £230m regeneration of Barry Waterfront are to go before the Vale of Glamorgan’s planning committee on Thursday 7th July.
Committee members will also visit the site on the same date, which has been set aside specifically to hear the application for the scheme, known as The Quays.
Proposals include for a new link road from Barry town centre to Barry Island, a new primary school, hotel, supermarket and community facility, a waterfront district centre featuring cafés and restaurants, as well as up to 2,000 new homes, comprising a mix of private and affordable housing.
The scheme aims to create a sustainable mixed-use community focused around the water, with new parks and children’s play areas, waterfront promenades and public spaces to help connect the existing communities of Barry Island and Barry town.
The Consortium behind the proposals submitted an outline planning application for the scheme in August 2009, while a further application was submitted for the new link road last summer. In September 2010, the Consortium acquired the final piece of land for the 100 acre site on which the development will be built.
Speaking on behalf of the Consortium, Richard Keogh, says: “We’re pleased that the application is being finally heard before planning committee. This is a hugely important next step to bring this major scheme to Barry.
“The Consortium started this project in 2007, before the global banking crisis and property crash, and has remained committed through some difficult times. Delivering a major scheme like The Quays is a complex process, and the changing financial climate has created issues that both the Consortium and the Council are having to deal with.
“We have also met with a number of local groups during this time to gather input from the community that, coupled with our initial two-day public exhibition, has led to us refining our plans to ensure they bring the right mix of much needed facilities and economic benefits to Barry.”
According to the most recent economic impact study carried out by Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, the development will pump an extra £150m into the economy over a 20 year period. The construction time on the project will also create 1,700 person-years of full-time employment, while the finished development will provide 870 new jobs (710 full-time equivalent) and 175 (140 FTE) spin-off jobs from companies and services on the regenerated waterfront. It would also lead to the creation of a further 350 indirect jobs (285 FTE) across the south-east Wales region as a whole.
Mr Keogh adds: “Barry has long deserved this level of financial investment. This scheme will provide the catalyst for further investment in Barry and the south-east Wales area, and is a great opportunity to significantly boost the local economy.”