Millions in funding for Barry should be spent on attracting visitors and tackling anti-social behaviour, councillor says

Ted Peskett – Local democracy reporter

A Barry councillor said millions of pounds in funding which has been confirmed again for the town should be used to reduce anti-social behaviour and attract shoppers to the high street.

Vale of Glamorgan Council confirmed recently that Barry will receive £20m through the UK Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods funding.

The grant is a repackaged version of the previous administration’s Long Term Plan for Towns funding which also pledged £20m to Barry and other areas in the UK.

Vale of Glamorgan Council ward member for Buttrills, Cllr Ian Johnson, said: “This is now the third time that this particular set of money has been announced, and people’s patience is wearing thin.”

Spending

Funding for Barry town centre through the Long Term Plan for Towns grant was announced in 2023.

Following Labour’s victory in the 2024 general election, the administration announced spending was being reviewed in a number of areas and confirmation of the funding for Barry was put on hold until November 2024.

The leader of Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Lis Burnett, said she is “thrilled” with the confirmation of the Plan for Neighbourhoods funding and said it will be used to “unleash the enormous potential” of Barry.

Plan for Neighbourhoods funding will be released from April 2025 with delivery investment commencing in 2026.

The £20m being received by Barry will be spread out over 10 years.

Vacant shops

Cllr Johnson, who is also the Plaid Cymru group leader at Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “While I’m pleased that the regeneration funding for Barry has again been confirmed, it is disappointing that it’ll be at least another year, April 2026, before any substantial amount of money is actually going to be spent in Barry, and even longer before we see any difference on the ground.

“As far as I am concerned, there is no time to be lost in putting this money to use in improving Barry town centre in particular, attracting more shoppers to Holton Road, working with landlords to reduce vacant shops and tackling anti-social behaviour.

“In reality, though, what we actually see is the Labour-led council trying to close the only multi-storey car park in Barry town centre, introducing additional car parking charges and threatening community centres with closure.”

The closure of the Court Road multi-storey car park and introducing new on-street and off-street car parking charges in Barry Island and Penarth are some of the proposals being put for forward by Vale of Glamorgan Council to help it save £8m in 2025-26.

Residents, businesses and community campaigners will be brought together in a neighbourhood board to decide how the £20m Plan for Neighbourhoods funding will be spent.

A press statement from Cllr Burnett said it has major differences to the Long Term Plan for Towns fund.

Options

The statement reads: “Unlike the previous restrictive list of options for how towns could spend funding, the range of options that can be now considered have doubled, and communities are at the heart of decisions, deciding their priorities and making the changes.”

Cllr Burnett said: “I’m thrilled at the confirmation of the £20m and the full details of the Plan for Neighbourhoods.

“We look forward to using the funding to unleash the enormous potential of the town.

“For us today’s announcement builds on the regeneration that has been ongoing over the last decade.

“It chimes with Vale 2030 – our new Plan for the Vale and the Whole Town Regeneration approach that has seen delivery of housing, schools, the regeneration of Barry Island and renovation of iconic local buildings for over 10 years.

“This is the difference that Labour in government makes, and I look forward to supporting the work of the neighbourhood board as we deliver for our residents and their communities.”