RESIDENTS are hopeful that significant changes could be made to controversial plans to knock down a sports centre in Barry and turn it into housing.
It all kicked off earlier in the year, when furious residents confronted Vale Council about its plans to knock down Colcot Sports Centre – described by one councillor as ’embarrassing’ - and turn the area over to housing stock, while moving the sports facility to a new site in the Buttrills area of Barry.
However, residents were not happy.
When Barry and District were at the consultation event – ironically held at the Colcot Centre in April – they told us how furious they were that more houses were being planned to be built in the centre of Barry putting what they described as more pressure on local services and infrastructure.
Residents have been so against the plans that a campaign group called ‘Save Colcot and Buttrills Fields’ was created.
Now, members of that group feel confident they are making headway with the Vale Council and that the council are listening to their concerns.
The group had a meeting with Dyfan councillors Belinda Loveluck-Edwards and Emma Goodjohn, as well as operational manager from neighbourhood services Dave Knevett.
Campaigners say they were encouraged by the meeting.
Beverley Bailey, local resident and campaigner who attended the meeting, said: “I was encouraged to hear from a representative of the Vale Council, that the wider schemes are on hold in order to fully consider the best options, in light of the strong community feedback, that now includes residents and their families views in the mix.”
A member of the group added: “I think the council thought these plans were going to be smoother, everyone was going to be happy, funders would be ready to go, but it’s actually turned out it is not like that.”
Cllr Knevett’s comments stuck out like a sore thumb at a scrutiny meeting held on April 2 over plans for the site.
In that meeting, Mr Knevett described the current state of the Colcot Centre, saying: “The current building at the sports centre is beyond its life expectancy and frankly from a women and girls’ perspective… are embarrassing.”
Initial plans for the Colcot Centre included knocking it down to build houses, and a “pump truck” (think of a skatepark for BMXs) and a children's play area being built on the site, coinciding with adjacent plans for a refurbishment of the Buttrills Community Centre to be turned into changing facilities for the Buttrills playing field.
A Vale Council spokesperson said further decisions will be made once the consultation has been reviewed.
“The responses to a consultation on this subject are still being reviewed,” said the spokesperson.
“They will be presented to the Council’s Cabinet in due course when a decision on next steps will be taken.”
Got a story in Barry? Email harry.jamshidian@newsquest.co.uk.
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