Barry residents hold protest over Colcot Sports Centre plans

The Colcot Sports Centre could be no more and turned over to housing stock after Vale Council voted at a recent scrutiny meeting to commend a report to knock down the centre and build a new multi-sport facility on the Buttrills pitches.

However not everyone is happy with the plans and this was shown as around 75 local residents from all over Barry gathered outside the sports centre on Sunday, April 7, to support the campaign to save it.

One of the organisers of the protest, Mike Goode, recently told Barry and District: “Buttrill’s residents are not happy with what is being discussed because of the scale of it. Over here at Colcot, it does not make sense (to knock down Colcot Centre and build anew).”

On the protest, Mr Goode said: “This was an opportunity for local residents to share their concerns, see the plans and proposals, sign the petition, and pick up information and posters for their windows.”

Residents came out in protest over plans for the Colcot Centre (Image: Supplied)

Posters were handed out and plans looked over (Image: Supplied)

At the protest, local resident Hannah Bevan said: “I oppose the use of a huge amount of public money to remove green space, and sports and childcare facilities in our community in order to build yet more housing, causing more congestion and access to schools and healthcare, without consulting local residents.”

Mr Goode went on to say: “So far, there has been no consultation with local residents in the area.

"The only discussions have been within the council’s Cabinet in February, and at a Healthy Living and Social Care Scrutiny Committee on the April 2, when a proposal from Cllr Janice Charles to obtain the costs of refurbishing the current facilities at the Colcot Centre were rejected.”

Around 75 people came out to protest (Image: Supplied)

Read more on the Colcot Centre in Barry

• Barry's Colcot Sports Centre described as embarrassing
• Council commend report to knock down Colcot Sports Centre

However, the matter of refurbishing the Colcot Centre was mentioned at the scrutiny meeting on April 2.

On the Colcot Centre, Dave Knevett, council’s operational manager for neighbourhood services said: “Comments we had back from the council’s property section was it is very unlikely that we would be able to remodel (the Colcot Centre) and meet the requirements that exist for football and other outdoor sports which exist at the time.”

Is it soon to be the end of the Colcot Sports Centre (Image: Google Maps)

Mr Knevett described this plan as a “short term solution that would be very unlikely to extract grant funding”.

What do you think? Want to see the Colcot Sports Centre retained? Is it an unsave-able eyesore that needs to go? Did you use the Colcot Centre in the past? Will you miss it? Do the new plans excite you? Do they provide better sports provision in the area?

Let us know in comments, on our Facebook page, or email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.

Got a story in Barry? Email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.