Amusement park boss facing legal action for excavation works near children’s hospice

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

An amusement park boss is facing legal action for digging up ground near a children’s hospice after being told not to.

The business owner behind Barry Island Pleasure Park, Henry Danter, was served with an enforcement notice from Vale of Glamorgan Council in January 2024 which ordered him to stop excavation works on his land off Hayes Road in Sully.

Mr Danter has said a number of times that it is his dream to turn the land into a holiday park.

However, the idea was met with deep concern from families who use the nearby Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice and a petition opposed to it has received more than 15,000 signatures so far.

Mr Danter said the work on the site is only intended to improve its appearance and that they believe they are working within the boundaries of what they are permitted to do.

‘Flagrant disregard’

The leader of Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Lis Burnett, said: “Our planning team has visited to the site and has spoken to the landowner several times and have exchanged countless letters and emails in an attempt to get him to understand what is and isn’t permitted at the site.

“Despite this there have been repeated examples of unauthorised work being carried out and the only conclusion we can draw is that he has a flagrant disregard for his obligations as a landowner and for the impact these works have on the surrounding area.”

When we spoke to Mr Danter earlier this year, he said the land off Hayes Road was derelict and an eyesore and that work on the site in 2023 was intended to make it more presentable.

Vale of Glamorgan Council said there have been repeated incidents of the use of heavy machinery on site to excavate the ground.

The local authority also said that on a recent inspection, it appeared that the site was being used to store HGV trailers, storage containers and commercial waste – a use of the land they said is not permitted.

No planning application has been made for a holiday park on the land off Hayes Road.

Fencing

The only planning applications that have been put in so far relating to Mr Danter’s land are one for fencing, one to house storage containers and another for caravan storage.

Two of the applications were withdrawn, but the application for fencing was approved by the council.

Mr Danter said the ground that was dug up on site and the presence of the stones is part of their work to install a new boundary fence and control weeds.

Vale of Glamorgan Council served a temporary stop notice on Mr Danter in December, 2023, after it said groundworks had been taking place on site without planning permission.

The notice was effective until January 18, 2024, but an enforcement notice was also served on Mr Danter in December, 2023, which took effect from January 19 and required works to cease permanently.

Cllr Burnett added: “This site is particularly sensitive due to it being so close to the Ty Hafan children’s hospice.

“There was rightly a public outcry when breaches of the planning conditions first occurred in late 2023.

“We believe legal action is now the only way to bring all work at the site to a stop. We will prosecute the landowner to the full extent of our powers.

“In recent days the landowner has sought to bypass the planning process and meet directly with me and other local politicians to discuss the matter.

“I have been clear in my reply that I will not do so while he continues to impose such a blight on the area.”

Tidy up

Mr Danter said: “We are trying to tidy the site up. We think we are acting within the permitted grant which we got to do it.

“We believe that we are only just taking the scrub land off it to see what land we have got.

“To me, they are making a mountain out of a mole hill.”

“We have replied to that letter [from the council]. They said they want to take action. Well, action about what?

“We are only just cleaning the scrub land up.”

On the council’s storage comments about the land, Mr Danter said: “I don’t know anything about commercial waste.

“It is a garage. It is a commercial premises. It is licensed as B3 and B7 use.

“They are overreacting. I don’t know what they want to see on the site.”