Latest news with #ValeofGlamorganCouncil
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Marina plans in doubt after backer pulls out
Plans to build a marina as part of a multi-million pound overhaul of Barry waterfront are in doubt after a major backer announced it would no longer be financing it. Associated British Ports (ABP) said it could no longer provide the "significant investment" required to build a marina on the waterfront in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan. The marina formed part of redevelopment plans which also include a new watersports centre, park, housing and offices. Vale of Glamorgan Council said it was "extremely disappointed" by the decision but that it remained confident the rest of the project could go ahead. Derelict Victorian hotel on most endangered list Town's waterfront plans approved The project to develop the waterfront, known as Barry Making Waves, formed the basis of an application for £20m of levelling-up funding under the previous Conservative UK government. Following a spending review, in October 2024 Labour Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed Barry would receive its funding. A spokesperson for ABP said following its own review, it had come to the "regretful conclusion" that it can no longer "proceed with the significant investment required in a marina". "We are looking at the right, viable ways we can contribute to the project and council's goals," they said, adding the company wanted to contribute to "more growth and prosperity for Barry". Council leader Lis Burnett described the decision as a "clear setback" but said she was confident the project would still go ahead. "We believe the project can be delivered without the marina component, subject to UK government agreement," the Local Democracy Reporting Service reports. Andrew RT Davies, Conservative Member of the Senedd (MS) for South Wales Central, described the decision as "extremely concerning". "The marina is a key part of plans to level up Barry and losing this investment is a huge blow," he said, adding that action was required to attract new partners. Mark Hooper, a Plaid Cymru councillor for the Barry waterfront area, said he was "surprised" by the announcement, and that the market testing "should have been completed long ago". "We in Barry need answers. Why was so much time and energy sunk into these plans if business partners hadn't already carried out their due diligence?"
Wales Online
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Spectacular new Welsh water park with inflatable assault course poised to open
Spectacular new Welsh water park with inflatable assault course poised to open An opening date has been confirmed and it's just weeks away Cardiff Bay Aqua Park which is moving to a new location (Image: WalesOnline/Rob Browne ) An opening date has been announced for a new water park which is coming to a popular Welsh country park. Vale of Glamorgan Council entered into an agreement with Aqua Park Group this year for it to trial a water park at Cosmeston Lake during the summer months. The council and Aqua Park, which runs a number of other water parks across the country, have announced the attraction will be open on Saturday, July 5. Residents and councillors have raised concerns about the plans to allow the attraction at Cosmeston, but council officials insisted conditions would be in place to protect wildlife and the attraction would be restricted to the eastern side of the lake. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs, find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here The water park will be much like the Aqua Park attraction which used to be at Cardiff Bay, featuring an assault course with inflatable equipment, slides and climbing frames. It was revealed at a Vale of Glamorgan Council scrutiny committee meeting in March that Aqua Park was unable to operate at Cardiff Bay this year due to issues with water quality. The council's director of place, Marcus Goldsworthy, said the decision to move the attraction presented an opportunity for the council to generate income for improving park facilities at Cosmeston. However, concerns remain about the impact it could have. A petition opposing the plans has so far gained 3,965 signatures. At the Vale Council scrutiny committee meeting in March, Conservative councillor, Cllr Anthony Ernest, said the more he heard about the plans for the water park, the more concerned he grew about its potential impact. A Labour councillor on the scrutiny committee, Cllr Elliot Penn, asked about water quality monitoring on site. Mr Goldsworthy said the water at Cosmeston was tested twice a year to ensure quality was maintained and added that the lake had been used for water-based activities in the past. Vale of Glamorgan Council's cabinet member for sustainable places, Cllr Bronwen Brooks, said: 'The Aqua Park will be another great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park as the council continues to promote sustainable tourism and leisure activities in the area. 'Consultation with residents through the council's placemaking work has shown there is appetite locally – particularly among young people – for more varied leisure activities, and the re-introduction of water-based activities at Cosmeston will help us to ensure that our country parks are for everyone. 'Trying new things is at the heart of what we do as an ambitious council, and this pilot could also enable further income opportunities for our country parks – especially in supporting the re-wilding and conservation work already underway at Cosmeston.' At the end of September, the council will carry out an evaluation of the water park pilot and decide if it will go out to tender for someone to operate an attraction on site for the next season. Article continues below
ITV News
5 days ago
- General
- ITV News
Aqua Park to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people
An inflatable water park is set to be installed at a popular beauty spot despite opposition from more than 2,000 people. Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved the use of the eastern lake at Cosmeston Country Park, Penarth, to pilot the new Aqua Park attraction ahead of the school summer holidays. It follows the announcement that Aqua Park Cardiff won't be re-opening this summer in Cardiff Bay due to poor water quality. It is expected that the Aqua Park will open in its new location on Saturday 5th July 2025, and will remain open until mid-September. It will feature an inflatable obstacle course, including climbing walls, trampolines and giant slides. Cllr Bronwen Brooks, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said: 'The Aqua Park will be another great addition to the already fantastic offer at Cosmeston Country Park as the Council continues to promote sustainable tourism and leisure activities in the area. 'Consultation with residents through the Council's placemaking work has shown there is appetite locally - particularly among young people - for more varied leisure activities, and the re-introduction of water-based activities at Cosmeston will help us to ensure that our Country Parks are for everyone. 'Trying new things is at the heart of what we do as an ambitious Council, and this pilot could also enable further income opportunities for our Country Parks – especially in supporting the re-wilding and conservation work already underway at Cosmeston. Locals previously raised concerns and started a petition. Rachel Morgan, who started the petition, said: 'For years, Cosmeston Lake has been officially deemed unsafe for swimming, raising serious concerns over the safety measures underpinning the Aqua Park's proposal. 'Contained within this park are some of Penarth's most diverse and fragile ecosystems, home to numerous species of wildlife. The recent proposal to introduce an Aqua Park this coming summer poses a significant and direct threat to this refuge.' Cosmeston Lake Country Park contains areas designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), protected by law against damage from development or damaging management practices due to the rare and diverse plants and animal species found there. Home to swans, mallards and otters among other waterfowl, 25.6 hectares of the lake also hold SSSI status to protect the endangered starry stonewort plant. And in 2019, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) completed a four-year reintroduction project of water voles to the lake, which are a protected species in the UK. While the east side of the lake has been used in the past for water-based leisure activities such as boating, paddle boarding and canoeing, local residents fear that relocating the aqua park there will threaten public health, swimmer safety, as well as the wildlife and habitats in and around the lake. The Vale of Glamorgan Council says it has worked with a number of partner agencies to ensure that the lake is safe for Aqua Park visitors to enjoy – including a detailed programme of water testing work - and there will be on-site security to reduce any opportunities for anti-social behaviour – including unauthorised camping, lighting of fires, vandalism, fly-tipping. Connor James, founder of Aqua Park Cardiff, said: "The Country Park is a fantastic venue for our exciting watersport experience, perfect for supervised adventure and family fun. With an exciting new course of obstacles, we can't wait to welcome visitors to our incredible new home. "We are also really excited to be playing our part in giving people and families much-needed access to active outdoor experience, in a controlled and supervised environment to help boost their physical and mental well-being. "With household budgets likely to be limited again this year, we've got an amazing offer on our Aqua Park Season Passes, which means people can book up to twice a week for the whole summer giving families an easy and cost-effective way to keep the kids active throughout a staycation summer.' All visitors to Aqua Park Cardiff will be provided buoyancy aids, but must be aged six and over, 1.2m tall and able to swim 25 metres unaided to take part.
Wales Online
5 days ago
- Sport
- Wales Online
People fear plans to transform outdated sports centre could be 'kicked into the long grass'
People fear plans to transform outdated sports centre could be 'kicked into the long grass' Vale of Glamorgan Council expressed an interest in redeveloping the sports facilities in Barry, but a number of reasons led them to re-think their plan Residents are still waiting for answers on what will happen to the Colcot Sports Centre in Barry (Image: Google Maps ) Residents and park users are still waiting answers on what will happen to a sports facility in Barry that's seen as being "well beyond" its lifespan. Vale of Glamorgan Council's live well scrutiny committee met on Tuesday, May 27, to discuss the future of the Buttrills and Colcot sports sites. The discussion came about five months after the council announced it would not be able to follow up on its proposal to upgrade Colcot Sports Centre due to a number of reasons, including a lack of funds. Plaid Cymru group leader at Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Ian Johnson, requested that the matter be considered at Tuesday's scrutiny committee meeting, fearing the issues would be "kicked into the long grass". For our free daily briefing on some of the major issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Cllr Johnson, who is also a ward councillor for Buttrills, said the sports centre was now 60 years old and "well beyond its lifespan". A public consultation on Vale of Glamorgan Council's plans for Colcot Sports Centre in 2024 found that the preferred way forward was a refurbishment of the existing facility. However, in December it was announced that the cost of the scheme had risen significantly. Cllr Johnson said: "In 2021, the boiler [of the Colcot centre] was condemned because of safety concerns. "It is a dark and grim building which has barely changed since I first set foot in there, playing [football] back in the 1980s. "It is certainly not the modern 21st century building you would expect with a sporting hub for Wales' largest town, nor is it a welcoming environment for girls and women's football." Labour councillors, Cllr Belinda Loveluck-Edwards and Cllr Emma Goodjohn, added their voices to calls for answers on the future of Colcot Sports Centre and the Buttrills and asked what efforts the council would make to secure funding from external sources. However, councillors were left none the wiser on how soon residents could expect progress on improving facilities in both areas. Operation manager for neighbourhood services, healthy living and performance at the council, Dave Knevett, said Colcot Sports Centre was beyond its life expectancy and called it "embarrassing" at a council meeting in December, 2024. Speaking at Tuesday's meeting, he again recognised a need to improve facilities. Mr Knevett said the council had been in discussion with potential partners for future projects at the Buttrills and Colcot sites, including Cymru Football Foundation, but was unable to give further details on a timescale for future plans. He added: "I can't give specifics in terms of where we are. There are various deadlines in terms of grants. Article continues below "We do need to do some more consultation in terms of the site and we are eager to do some local consultation, bearing in mind the... comments that came from the community with the original proposals. "It's important that local needs are taken into account as well as the needs of the sports that will be provided at these facilities."
Wales Online
7 days ago
- Politics
- Wales Online
Changes to Welsh county will leave it with fewer community councils in next elections
Changes to Welsh county will leave it with fewer community councils in next elections A number of councillors opposed the plans, which they said would "dilute" local voices, but others argued the changes are needed to improve local democracy Changes to electoral boundaries in the Vale of Glamorgan will leave it with fewer community councils Proposed changes to a Welsh county which would lead to it having fewer community councils will be implemented in time for the next local government elections in 2027. The Welsh Government has agreed to the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru's recommendations to make changes to a number of communities in the Vale of Glamorgan following a process of review and consultation. Some councillors raised concerns about the proposals, which will result in there being 19 community councils in the county instead of 27, and fear it will "dilute" local voices. However, the chief executive of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru argued the change will be crucial in ensuring people in the Vale receive the best representation. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . One Vale of Glamorgan Council Conservative councillor, Cllr Christine Cave, said at a full council meeting in 2024 that the move would amount to "throwing dedicated community councillors on to the community council scrapheap". The proposal will also see the number of community councillors go down from 269 to 205. At the time, the boundary commission in Wales said it would make councils more resilient going forward and a number of other councillors in the Vale pointed out that many community councils rarely have elections because of a lack of candidates. Article continues below Colwinston Community Council is one of the communities that will be affected in the Vale of Glamorgan. As a result of the changes, it will be abolished along with Llangan Community Council and a new community will be created which will merge both. Chair of Colwinston Community Council in 2024, Cllr Ed Lewis, said during a full Vale of Glamorgan Council meeting at the time: "The activity that goes on in Colwinston is quite remarkable for the size of the village. "If you reduce the number of representatives you reduce the effectiveness of the new council. "The new council is going to have seven councillors and there will be two schools in the arrangement whereas Colwinston has only got one school. "With seven councillors we can just manage to cover putting a governor on to the school and have representation on various bodies around South Wales. "Effectively the new council is going to be pushed to deliver the same level of services with a lot fewer people." At the same meeting, leader of the Plaid Cymru group at Vale of Glamorgan Council, Cllr Ian Johnson, said the review of community boundaries was important. Cllr Johnson, who is also a Barry Town Council member, said: "I don't agree with every single part of this report but this does respond to the challenge we have at hand." As a result of the changes in the Vale, Barry will have a new town council ward for the Waterfront area. Chief executive of Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru, Shereen Williams MBE OStJ said: "The Commission is delighted that the first of its community reviews will now be implemented without modification. 'We'd like to thank the Cabinet Secretary for taking this decision, and also thank our partners in Vale of Glamorgan council, all the community and town councils in the Vale, and the members of the public who engaged so constructively in the review. Article continues below 'Reviewing and updating the boundaries and electoral arrangements of communities is crucial in ensuring that people across the Vale of Glamorgan continue to receive the best representation, and that local changes to populations, for example where new housing estates have been built, are reflected in the boundaries of communities.'
