Councils set to approve Barry Placemaking Plan
This month, The Vale of Glamorgan Council and Barry Town Council are both to set to approve a new Placemaking Plan.
Placemaking is about working together to improve the places where we live, work and spend time. It involves listening to local people and using new ideas to make towns and neighbourhoods more welcoming, vibrant and useful for everyone.
It will be the fourth placemaking plan to be developed in partnership with Town Councils in the Vale and will help unlock future funding opportunities for the town centre and beyond.
Work to develop the Barry Placemaking Plan began in 2024, and has been shaped in collaboration with residents, local businesses, organisations and elected Members, who shared their own ideas and priorities for the future of the town.
The plan focuses on improvements in the town centre, but also on connecting the town, and revitalising Barry Island.
The ideas in the document are not set in stone and it is meant to be living document that will continue to evolve as community needs change.
It isn’t just for the two Councils to deliver and the hope is that local people will help deliver and shape the plan and projects as they evolve.
Cllr Bronwen Brooks, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Places, said: “I am so pleased that we have been able to work together on this plan and that it has been shaped by the people who live and work here.
“A key priority within the plan is strengthening the town centre, ensuring it remains a vibrant and welcoming destination for residents, businesses and visitors.
“Recent steps such as the Council’s acquisition of the former Wilko building on Holton Road demonstrate our commitment to investing in Barry and exploring new opportunities to bring activity and life back into the heart of the town.”
Rachel Honey-Jones, Chief Officer at Barry Town Council, said: “One key theme in the Plan looks at refocusing the town centre, including investment in cultural and community facilities, improvements to public spaces and townscape, support for local retail on all the Town’s shopping streets, and opportunities for new development.
“The plan aligns closely with our aspirations as a Town Council to promote the heritage of Barry and find a place where all types of history can come together under one roof.
“Sports provision across the Town has also come through strongly across the board and this now gives us a platform to work with the sports community to take a holistic view of what is needed in relation to that.”
Most towns across Wales now have or are developing a Placemaking Plan, supported by the Welsh Government Transforming Towns programme.
For more information on placemaking in the Vale of Glamorgan, take a look here.