PLANS have been filed to bring a prominent Barry town centre building back into use, but it may not be forever.
In 2023, the Wilko store in Holton Road closed and, despite a strong marketing effort, remained unoccupied for more than a year.
In July 2025, the Vale Council’s cabinet approved the use of a £1m Welsh Government loan to buy the building. Now, plans have been put in place to bring the unit back into active use.
The council has submitted plans to itself to use the vacant store as an “events space” for a year.
Planning documents read: “The Vale Council purchased the unit formally in January 2026 to support the regeneration and long-term vitality of the town centre.”
Previous council papers raised a range of potential uses for the vacant lot including pop-up events, workshops, engagement activities, and evening events. The current application is only for an ‘interim use’ of the building while plans for a permanent future use are “developed further”.
This temporary use aims to “help bring an active frontage to this entire block to contribute to the footfall to Barry town centre and the wider economy”.
A marketing report attached to the application confirms that before the council took over the property there was little interest by private businesses to take it over.
It said: “During this period, demand from occupiers for a unit of this size and nature remained very limited. Given the increasing occupational costs faced by retailers, including rising employment and energy costs, together with broader economic challenges, it is unlikely that the property would have secured a tenant on viable commercial terms had it remained available to let.”
Photo: Vale Council.
Cllr Ian Johnson, a councillor for the centre of Barry and leader of the Plaid Cymru group on the council, said: “I’m pleased that there is further progress in bringing Wilko’s back to life, with the ultimate aim of increasing footfall in this part of Holton Road by turning the site into an indoor market.
“It’s nearly a year since the Vale Council made their initial announcement about purchasing the shop, and a lot of work has gone into the project, including a number of recent pop-up events.
“It’s always frustrating when a large private sector landlord leaves, so the Vale council has done the right thing in using Welsh Government funding to invest in Barry town centre.
“I think we’re all looking forward to the day when we have a fully-fledged flagship indoor market in the middle of Barry, and I hope the council will now be able to move quickly on this.”
By Kieran Molloy, Local Democracy Reporter
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