State of the Area Debate  2006, Barry

 

REPORT of the State of the Area Debate held on 6^th April, 2006 at Barry Memorial Hall.

 

Present:

 

Councillor Ms. M.E. Alexander	(Mayor, Vale of Glamorgan Council)
Councillor H.J.W. James	(Leader, Vale of Glamorgan Council)
Councillor A.D. Hampton	(Cabinet Member: Education and Lifelong Learning)
Councillor A.C. Williams	(Cabinet Member, Social and Care Services)
Councillor M.R. Harvey	(Cabinet Member: Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure)

 

The Mayor welcome all present to the debate, which would focus on the Council’s key achievements and ongoing major projects within Barry.  The planned series of presentations would be followed by a question and answer session and members of the audience would be offered an opportunity to ask general questions in an open forum prior to the end of the debate.

 

The Mayor invited the Leader of the Council to provide his opening address.  The Leader referred to the key topics, which would form the basis of the Cabinet Members’ presentations for the evening:

 

·        County Library - Councillor A.D. Hampton

·        Hub - Multi Use Facility - Councillor A.C. Williams

·        Waterfront Proposals - Phase 2 and Entrepreneurship Centre - Councillor M.R. Harvey

 

The Leader advised that Barry was the venue for the third State of the Area Debate of 2006.  The first had been held in Llantwit Major on 22^nd March, 2006 and the second in Penarth on 29^th March, 2006.  The focus for each State of the Area Debate had been to concentrate on the improvements and developments to date in each of the town areas within the Vale.

 

The Leader then provided the meeting with an overview of the Council stating that the Council’s executive decision making body, the Cabinet, consisted of 10 Members and the Council had four Scrutiny Committees whose role was to scrutinise the executive decisions of the Cabinet and to make any recommendations for improvement of service.  He referred to the fact that the Council had adopted the principal of continuous improvement and that most of the Council’s services had improved.In particular, he advised the audience, a recent article in the Western Mail had stated the Council was the top in Wales.  He further stated that the new Cabinet style of decision-making had not only produced more open and accountable local government but also achieved quicker decision-making, which was clearly in the public interest.  Council services had improved over the last five years and the Leader suggested that most people had seen some improvement in the range of services within their locality which included road resurfacing, grass cutting, litter collection and recycling arrangements and the Vale of Glamorgan had established a target to recycle 40% of all household waste.

 

Progress in relation to the OneVale One Stop Shop Contact Centre was ongoing, the Scheme itself was estimated to spend £14,000,000 which would provide a more customer focussed service for which the budget had already been set aside.

 

The Leader closed his address by stating that the Auditors Report on the Vale of Glamorgan had provided key messages stating that the Corporate Management arrangements operating within the Vale were operating effectively and the overall financial position was strong.  The Auditor had reported in November 2005 that “the Council made steady progress in 2004/05 and was well placed and maintained”.  The Leader reaffirmed the Cabinet’s and the Council’s determination to continue improvements throughout the Vale.

 

A New Library for Barry - Councillor A.D. Hampton - Cabinet Member for Education and Lifelong Learning

 

Councillor Hampton opened his presentation by describing the elements of the Scheme, which comprised:

 

·        a new town square

·        a revitalised Central Park

·        a flagship library and gallery space.

 

The library would be the first large town centre library to be built in Wales within the past 10 years and would be one of the very few civic buildings present where people could meet, spend time and relax as well as access a wide range of services.  The library would be housed in the new two storey extension being built behind the Town Hall, with its main entrance on Tynewydd Road and had been designed with large areas of glass along both sides of the extension with the aim of making it a light and open structure.

 

Councillor Hampton presented views of the building from the car park on Wyndham Street, which showed the library courtyard at the rear, which will be accessible from both the library and gallery spaces.

 

The audience were shown an architects impression of the interior of the library, which emphasised:

 

·        the attractive book displays and promotions that wouldl encourage visitors to try something new

·        the children’s area which would have a book den for younger readers, space for arts and craft activities and a range of audio visual and computer facilities

·        the youth area, designed to appeal to young teenagers which will have information resources, internet access and a CD listening section

·        the relaxation area on the ground floor which will have comfortable seating, a coffee machine, newspapers and magazines

·        the collections of special resources including large print books, audio books, resources for the hearing impaired, magnification equipment for the visually impaired and a text to speech scanner.

 

The first floor of the library would be a quieter place than the ground floor and will be where most of the book stock will be housed.  Two community rooms will also be provided for use by community groups and community learning providers.  A separate computer suite will accommodate the programme of computer based classes that now take place in the open library.

 

Finally, Councillor Hampton advised that the library would open during the autumn of this year.

 

Partnership Development with Barry YMCA “The Hub” - Councillor A.C. Williams (Cabinet Member for Social and Care Services)

 

Councillor Williams opened his presentation by informing that the project cost of The Hub had been funded from:

 

·        European Funding

·        Local Regeneration Fund

·        Vale of Glamorgan Council

·        Big Lottery Fund

·        Welsh Assembly

·        Dow Corning

·        WDA

 

and had created a multi-purpose community enterprise centre, which encouraged participation in sport, lifelong learning and arts.  It provided a supportive environment which included the most vulnerable and disadvantaged members of its community.

 

The title of “The Hub” had been chosen to reflect its position at the centre of an integrated range of services including health, therapies, social care, sports, educational and personal support services.

 

The new premises were extensions to the YMCA’s existing building at Court Road and made use of a large plot of derelict land owned by the Vale Council.  The premises had opened in January 2006.

 

The building had eight main themes which helped to provide a highly interactive and supportive environment which involved the whole community.  A community café was at the hub of the building and was located close to the reception area.

 

There were opportunities for dedicated play and training events for children and young people, and the very youngest children were cared for in a stimulating environment within the facility.  This enabled parents to participate in the activities on offer.

 

A purpose built Social Services day care facility for those with higher dependency needs had been established within the building which provided a secure and protective environment for the most vulnerable whilst enabling them to interact at the heart of their community.

 

The Hub provided flexible office space for charitable and voluntary groups.  Virtually all the accommodation had been taken up.  The Hub also provided expanded facilities to enable a wider variety of fitness and leisure classes to be offered for all levels and abilities.  Changing facilities had been expanded and improved to reflect the need for family friendly facilities.

 

Training courses were accessible to all of the community.  Employment skills training for young people and classes for people with disabilities would encourage wider participation in learning opportunities.

 

A new dedicated multi-purpose performance space allowed for community dance and drama workshops and may enable small-scale productions to taken place at the centre.

 

An important element of the building comprised the dedicated training suite.  This enabled local residents and voluntary groups to make use of the facility to expand the capacity of the whole community to engage in new skills.

 

Councillor Williams concluded by stating that the Council was justly proud to have participated in the development of The Hub.  The investment would prove very valuable to the people of the Vale of Glamorgan and it was now up to those people to make The Hub the wonderful Centre it deserved to be.

 

The Waterfront, Barry (Phase 2) - Councillor M.R. Harvey (Cabinet Member - Regeneration, Tourism and Leisure)

 

Councillor Harvey gave a presentation which:

 

·        set the context of the Waterfront, Barry project and the need for mixed uses in this important regeneration project

·        outlined the Innovation Quarter, an example of a mixed use development project being delivered by the Council and Welsh Assembly Government in the heart of the Waterfront

·        reported on the progress of an existing new flagship Council scheme in the Innovation Quarter called the Entrepreneurship Centre.

 

The Waterfront extended some 190 acres around the enclosed waters of the No. 1 Dock and involved the redevelopment of primarily derelict brown-field land.

 

Outline planning permission was granted in 1994 for retail, commercial, residential, leisure, recreation and education uses plus new open spaces.

 

It was an ambitious project that has been implemented by a joint venture between ABP and the WDA with the Council also assisting with various projects.

 

In terms of progress a great deal has been achieved in the Waterfront since March 1996 when ABP and the WDA commenced the first major land reclamation works.

 

Extensive land reclamation has been completed, new roads constructed, large areas have been landscaped and a new walkway or promenade has been completed by ABP and the WDA.

 

The Council and WDA have also assisted by delivering in the late 1990s the strategic road links to the Waterfront of the Gladstone Road Bridge and the section of Ffordd y Mileniwm adjacent the No. 2 Dock.  Furthermore, to demonstrate its commitment to the Waterfront, the Council has purchased and occupied the Docks Office, and is a partner with the WDA in developing the Innovation Quarter.

 

The private sector has responded by investing in the Waterfront with over 600 new homes built by national house builders, and new retail developments such as Morrisons superstore, Focus, Argos.

 

The Council was keen to see the Waterfront accommodate a wide range of mixed uses and does not want it to be overly developed by housing.  Mixed use developments are favoured because they add activity and choice of places to work, live and visit. They  reduce the need to travel and make towns safer for people both day and night.

 

There was therefore a need for a balanced development in the Waterfront with tourism, leisure and community uses to balance the residential uses.  However, achieving mixed uses is a challenge and can be limited by the property market and the availability of public funding.

 

Within this context the Council is actively encouraging these mixed uses by firstly continuing to meet with ABP and WDA/WAG representatives regarding progressing the second phase of the Waterfront, and encouraging mixed uses within the remainder of the Waterfront.  Secondly, the Council is itself delivering on 19 acres of its land in the Waterfront a mixed use development called the Innovation Quarter in partnership with the WDA/WAG and thirdly, by establishing Council offices in the Waterfront at the Docks Office it is aimed to encourage other uses.

 

Councillor Harvey referred to the Innovation Quarter, a development project being implemented by the Council and WDA with the primary aim of delivering mixed uses in the heart of the Waterfront.

 

The Innovation Quarter is located in the heart of the Waterfront close to the High Street/Broad Street retail area.

 

Today, the only remaining historic buildings on the site were the Grade II listed Hydraulic Pumphouse building and the former railway goods shed building adjacent Hood road providing important references to the history of the site and creating a strong sense of place.

 

The Council was working in partnership with the WDA/WAG to develop the Innovation Quarter and our aim is to establish a new Urban Quarter with a strong sense of place and a lively mix of learning, employment, tourism, community and leisure uses balanced with some residential if necessary.

 

The projects in the indicative master plan include: the Council’s recently completed Skills Training Centre, an Entrepreneurship Centre - a Council project which is now on site the completed Phases 2 and 3 of the Heritage Steam Railway; a proposed medical centre - the subject of advanced negotiations, a live/work project with some residential which is at feasibility stage.  Consideration is also being given to restoring the Pumphouse and identifying potential uses for this landmark building and the Hood Road Goods Shed building and site has been restored and provides further development opportunity for mixed uses along with a venue for hosting events.

 

Looking to the near future, the Council’s commitment to encouraging mixed uses is demonstrated by a new project currently on site - the Entrepreneurship Centre development.

 

The aims of the Entrepreneurship Centre project are:

 

(a)       to provide improved local access to business support services by offering a single reception service with on site advice, information and support (including seminar and meeting facilities) to local businesses in Barry and the Vale

 

(b)       to offer high quality incubator units for rent for new start fledgling businesses with exceptional needs or merit.  Priority will be given to good quality businesses

 

(c)        to complement the other ongoing and proposed mixed uses at the Innovation Quarter.

 

The aims are also:

 

(d)       to create a prominent 2 storey building promoting high design standards, characterised by contemporary architecture with the design and material aimed at reinforcing a strong sense of place with design cues taken from the Hydraulic Pumphouse and Goods Shed.

 

(e)       to create a building offering 1500 sq m of floor space with a high quality work environment provided 8 workshops and 15 offices, served by a main foyer with a single reception and on site parking.

 

In terms of progress, the design team led by architects Austin Smith Lord were appointed in August 2004. The contract was let to interserve in July 2005.  The project will cost an estimated £1.9 million and is funded by a cocktail of funding from the WDA, Local Regeneration Fund from WAG, ERDF and Council funds.

 

The Entrepreneurship Centre is due to be completed by June 2006 and open later this calendar year.

 

The following question and answer session then ensued:

 

Question	Answer
Councillor Mrs. S. Hodges - Town Council expressed pleasure at the existence of the gallery space within the new library and asked what would be located there?	Councillor Hampton responded by stating that the Chief Librarian was considering in detail what would be located within the gallery space, but in broad terms in would comprise rooms for community use and a reference section.  The project was on schedule to be completed by July.   The Leader added that the old library area had been retained for multi-use exhibitions etc.  An officer team was to start considering ways in which this area could interact with the library and public engagement would be sought.   The new library would increase the number of people coming into Barry to use the shops.
Tracey Marsh - I don’t appreciate being told that the plans for the gallery space within the new library are not yet finalised.	Councillor Hampton responded by stating that the new library represented a very large project and comprised many different parts.  Discussions had already been held with community groups.
Mr. R. ??? referred to the lack of facilities for residents within the Waterfront development	Councillor Harvey responded that an area of the Waterfront had been allocated for the provision of a restaurant.  A developer had submitted plans for such a facility but the design had been rejected by the Planning Authority.   It must be appreciated that the Council itself could not build entertainment facilities but could only encourage others to develop.
Brian Osborne enquired:   (1)       When will UWIC develop the former holiday site at Barry Island?   (2)       What are the Council’s plans for Phase 2 of the Waterfront development i.e. West Point?   Mr. Osborne expressed the view that the Council was involved in too many initiatives and was frightening investors away from the area.	(1)       Councillor Harvey stated that the Council was making every effort to encourage UWIC to develop at Barry Island.  However, at present UWIC was subject to much reorganisation and was reviewing its Estate Plan.  The Council was prepared to make a contribution towards the development but the decision was, ultimately, a matter for UWIC.   The Leader added that UWIC had recently reaffirmed its decision to develop the site at Barry Island but was experiencing a funding gap.   (2)       With regard to West Pond, Councillor Harvey replied that no definite uses had been planned, although the Council intended to continue the road through to Barry Island.  £40 million of public money had been spent on the area, which had generated a further £100 million.
Mr. ??  The money being spend on the steam railway is not justified in view of the railway’s operation of just 12 hours per week.	Councillor Harvey stated that the railway was not operated by the Council and was financed by the Wales Tourist Board.  It had recently been announced that the latest Phase had been approved which would allow the railway line to be extended to the Morrison’s Store.   The Leader stated that the railway line was not operated solely for tourism purposes but also for community regeneration.   The Leader further reminded those present that the Waterfront area had been derelict up to only a few years ago.  The Council wished the Waterfront to be a vibrant area and had the determination to ensure that this became a reality.
Margaret Council asked about the lack of provision of public toilets within the Vale	The Leader replied by stating that the new Central Library would contain manned public toilets.   He also said that good public toilets were key to attracting visitors and that all toilets needed to be improved.   Generally, toilets within the Vale had been closed because they were vandalised, but the Cabinet had asked for a complete review of the public toilets within the Vale.
?? enquired about the state of Holton Road.	The Leader agreed that the area needed to be improved and stated that progress can take time.   The closure of the Dan Evans store had not involved the Council, but had been taken as a commercial decision.   The Council had purchased the land on which the Wilkinson Store had been built.   The Council wished to acquire the site of the Seamen’s Mission for use as a car park.   These attempts by the Council to improve the area had all taken time, although the Council was investing huge sums in Barry.    In addition, the Council had asked Welsh Water to contribute towards the costs of repaving Holton Road.   Holton Road will also be re-surfaced to the same high quality as King Square.
?? stated that it would be better to spend £2.50 and go to Bridgend for the shopping experience
Mary Nichola Weaver enquired if the Council would be prepared to re-establish a Focus Group to establish whether the Council Tax payers were obtaining value for money.	The Leader responded that Focus Groups already existed in the form of citizen’s panels and the Council also conducted annual attitude surveys.   The evidence suggested that services were improving, although there was still room for improvement, as evidenced by the publication of the Council’s Performance Indicators.
Jim Davies referred to earlier comments about the cost of the new “telephone system” being £14 million and enquired how much this represented per head of population.	The Leader replied by stating that it was not a telephone system.  The new system would involve Business Process, re-managing the existing way of working.  The new OneVale Contact Centre would be manned not by telephonists but by people who would be able to deal immediately with any matter.  These people would be highly trained and recruitment had already commenced.  Part of the package would be a procurement system which would generate savings of £1 million per year.   The new system would transform the way in which the Council dealt with the public.
Graham Hawkins asked how much longer the public had to put up with an ever increasing Council Tax.	The Leader agreed that Council Tax had increased every year, and expressed the view that it always would.  The question that should have been asked was why has Council Tax increased by a higher rate than inflation and stated that the answer to the question lay in the recent Council Tax re-banding exercise.
Mr. ?? of Jewel Street stated that he was paying over £100 per year towards the police and asked what he was getting for his money.	The Leader invited Inspector Evans to reply.   Inspector Evans assured those present that the police were active in the community.  Every ward area of the Council had a dedicated police officer and the Castleland ward in which Jewel Street lay had been allocated four police officers and a sergeant.
Jim Brain referred to recent press reports which stated that the Vale had spent £1.8 million on consultants.  Why couldn’t the Council’s own officials do this work?	The Leader explained that some aspects of the Council’s work involved the limited use of expertise that was not normally available within the Council’s workforce.  In such cases, the Council purchased the expertise required.   The Leader also stated that the terms ‘consultant’ was misleading as it also referred to professional expertise and project management work.
?? of Barry Island asked if there was any good news regarding the steps at the Waterfront.	Councillor Harvey reported that construction of the new steps was imminent.   The Leader added that the decision by ABP to allow the new steps to be built had arisen as a result of public pressure.
Mr. B. West of Dinas Powys referred to the Council being reluctant to spend “£400 per week” on residential care for the elderly but being prepared to spend “£4000 per week” to send children to special schools	The Leader advised that the Council is often faced with difficult choices.  Situations sometimes arise whereby children have to be removed from their parents, sometimes into specialist care, the costs of which could be £4000 per week in certain circumstances.  The Council had no choice but to pay the fees, but was looking to form a cartel of several Councils in an attempt to control the level of fees.   With regard to Community Services, the Leader stated that he was aware that everything that is done will have an effect on someone’s life.  The Council faced challenges with the provision of children and adult services, and the Leader expressed a desire to work with the private sector to establish 3/5 year agreements.  This could help to reduce the Council’s overspend and thereby reduce Council Tax bills and it provides some certainty of funding for the owners of the residential homes for the elderly.
Mr. ?? - I do appreciate that the Council is underfunded but may I bring to your attention the state of the roads in the Vale.  It is best to re-surface roads rather than plug the gaps.	The Leader agreed.  The Council had received monies from the Welsh Assembly Government in the past for road maintenance, but had received nothing for the past two years.  This did not mean that the Council had done nothing - in fact the Council had made significant investments and had set aside a sum of £350,000 this year and £500,000 next.   Furthermore, Highway Authorities in South Wales had made representations to Welsh Assembly Government Ministers to identify the costs of bringing the roads in the area up to a good standard.  The cost had been identified as £80 million spread over the next five years, but the Vale of Glamorgan Council had yet to be awarded any additional resources.
Mike ? of Barry suggested that a link road from Barry to Junction 34 of the M4 was required.	The Leader agreed that there was a pressing need for a Culverhouse Cross relief road.  The Council had requested funds from the Welsh Assembly Government year after year but had recently been advised by WAG not to submit any further requests.   The Welsh Assembly Government had employed its own consultants to look at ways to alleviate the traffic problems and had been presented with three suggestions:   Short-term solution would be the trunking of the A48 between St. Nicholas and Sycamore Cross.   Medium-term solution would be a peripheral road to the top of the Tumble.   The longer-term solution would be a link road to Junction 34 of the M4.   The Leader added that, should the proposals for a defence college at St. Athan proceed then the need for the longer-term solution would become more pressing.
Jean Simpson spoke of traffic congestion in Robin’s Lane and asked if it was a condition of planning applications that off-road parking be provided.	The Leader stated that all planning application are considered by officers of the Traffic Section who will make appropriate comments.   The Council owned a property in Robin’s Land which does have off-road parking.   As the Leader was not familiar with the specific area being referred to, he offered to provide a written response to Ms. Simpson.
Mike Stuart of Barry enquired as to whether the flagship developments i.e. The Hub and new library together with the Waterfront developments had been constructed with conservation issues in mind.	In response, the Leader advised that in all developments the architects had been briefed to develop proposals that were “sustainable for the future”.   Furthermore, all buildings are constructed to current building standards.

 

The Mayor then invited the Leader to sum up.

 

The Leader thanked all present for attending the Debate which had proved challenging.

 

The Leader expressed disappointment at the number of attendees, but thanked those who were present for their attendance.  However, he thanked those who had attended for their questions.

 

The Mayor ended the meeting by thanking the Leader, Cabinet Members, staff and all members of the public for attending what she considered to be a productive evening.