LABOUR’S announcement that Barry will receive £20 million – spread over 10 years – has been questioned by political rivals.
In a simultaneous press release, The Vale Council Leader, Cllr Lis Burnett, and Vale MP Kanishka Narayan, welcomed the news that Barry is set to receive up to £20 million of funding as part of the Labour government’s ‘Plan for Neighbourhoods’.
However, the Conservatives and Plaid Cymru said this is just a re-announcement of money allocated in 2023 by the Conservative Government. That fund was also £20 million and was also spread over 10 years. A Town Board was formed to decide on how to spend the money. Andrew RT Davies described the new announcement as “desperate spin”.
Guidance notes on Mr Narayan’s press release said that the £20 million allocated by the Tories “did not exist” and that it had “inflexible restrictions on how this money could be spent”. Presumably, Labour are classing this cash as part of the “£22 billion black hole” that Rachel Reeves insists she has discovered.
Cllr Lis Burnett said: “Labour’s Plan for Neighbourhoods has major differences from the previous Conservative government’s approach. Quite apart from there being no funding to deliver their scheme, the Tory plan micro-managed local communities, forcing money to be spent on surface-level improvements that didn’t deliver long-term change.
“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.”
Kanishka Narayan said that Neighbourhood Boards can now spend funding on modernisation of social housing, community led housing, skills support and child care.
He added that the government has also expanded the list of who can sit on the boards to include representatives from social housing, workplace representatives and, in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the representative in the devolved legislatures.
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Ian Johnson, Plaid Cymru group leader on the Vale Council and a councillor in the centre of Barry, said: “This is now the third time that this particular set of money has been announced, and people’s patience is wearing thin.
“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.”
Photo: Welsh Parliament.
For the Conservatives, Andrew RT Davies said: “This is disingenuous, desperate spin from Labour.
“The previous Conservative Government provided this cash for much-needed regeneration in Barry.
“Unlike Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves, who are punishing Vale workers, pensioners, businesses and farmers with devastating tax rises, Conservatives will always stand up for Barry.”
By Philip Irwin – Senior Reporter
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