Barry Waterfront resident says community has been let down

Marcus Stead 12/09/2023

4 minutes read

Some of the many apartments on Barry Waterfront. — Some of the many apartments with lovely views on Barry Waterfront.

A BARRY Waterfront resident has described the area as ‘soulless’ ahead of a public meeting to discuss the failure of developers to build the community facilities they promised when planning permission was granted.

Warren Haynes moved into his apartment on Y Rhodfa 10 years ago and he was told by estate agents that as more homes were built, community amenities would all follow, but so far few of these have materialised.

Mr Haynes is unable to work due to epilepsy and cardiomyopathy, and he says that having nowhere local to meet people has left him feeling lonely: “I moved to this apartment a decade ago and I thought it would be a dream home.

“I love the views and I was told that as the area was built up, developers would also be building facilities for us to spend time socially.

“There was talk of a café, a pub and a community centre, but the fact is that there isn’t even a local newsagents for me to go and buy a paper and have a chat. All these apartments have been built but the area is soulless, and we don’t have the facilities to meet one another and form friendships.”

Mr Haynes’ comments come at a time of growing tension between the Vale Council and the Waterfront Consortium, a group of developers consisting of Persimmon Homes, Taylor Wimpey and Barratt Homes, who the council says have not delivered on amenities they promised to build.

The council says it wants to work with local people to increase pressure on the developers to deliver all elements of the Waterfront development, and residents are encouraged to attend a public meeting at the Academy Espresso Bar on Monday, 18th September, 4.30pm to 6pm.

A Vale Council spokesperson said: “The council has previously had to take action against the Waterfront Consortium to ensure a complex of shops, bars and restaurants – known as the district centre was built, while the new St Baruc school was completed only after the council threatened legal action.”

Vale Council leader Lis Burnett said: “I’m committed to engaging with residents to learn about their experiences. As a council, we strive to build strong communities and the consortium is failing to build anything but homes that it can profit from. I look forward to meeting the Barry Waterfront community and taking action together.”

Mr Haynes says the need for more facilities is urgent, and that he found the experience of going through the pandemic particularly difficult due to the lack of a sense of community in the area. He said: “The pandemic was really difficult for me and even when restrictions eased, I wasn’t well enough to get out and about very much.

“My health has improved somewhat in the past year, and I’m now able to get out for short walks, but there’s nowhere to go and meet people for a chat.

“We have dog walkers going up and down the footpath and they seem to have a bit of a community, but I can’t join them because one of the conditions of buying a flat here is that you can’t keep pets.

“I like the local people, they mostly seem very pleasant, but there’s no real way of getting to know them beyond saying hello.”

One of the few social facilities in the area is The Bridge Between Community Centre, which opened in July 2021 and was built by Barry Uniting Church with funding from the Vale Council, the National Lottery and other sources.

The centre acts as a place of worship for the United Reformed Church and Methodist congregations, and the building is also home to ecological projects and a community-run café that runs between 10am and 2pm on Thursdays.

Mr Haynes says having more facilities would improve the quality of life for all local residents: “I grew up in South London but over the years I’ve spent time in the Costa del Sol and Didcot, Oxfordshire, and before moving to the Waterfront development I lived in Cadoxton for 10 years.

“What all these places had in common was that there were venues for people to meet up and there was a sense of community as a result.

“Things could be worse for me because at least my partner comes around to spend time with me a couple of times per week, but during the pandemic we were kept apart for long periods.

“It would be nice to be able to and sit in a coffee shop overlooking the marina and have a chat to people who live nearby or go to a community centre for an event.

“This area has so much potential but you need more than just houses to create a community.”

In a statement given to the Local Democracy Reporting Service last month, a spokesperson for the Barry Waterfront Consortium said: “We understand and appreciate the frustration expressed by the Vale Council and local residents regarding the community facilities at the Barry Waterfront development.

“We can confirm that the consortium met with the leader and chief executive of the Vale Council at the end of June to discuss the outstanding areas and reassure them of our commitment to deliver these facilities as quickly as possible.

“We have since devised and commenced a detailed programme of works, which has been shared with the council.”

By MARCUS STEAD

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