Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

I apologise for sending this representation to you by email. The online consultation portal kept saying I had incorrect credentials. There is a tremendous amount of information to expect a person to take in but having read all the documents my initial feelings have been confirmed. It seems that the Vale of Glamorgan is being used to help solve the problems of lack of housing in the Cardiff area and that the Vale of Glamorgan is using Barry to solve its desire for more housing rather than Penarth or the more rural towns. Is this because of the leadership of the Vale Council at the present time?

The amount of housing proposed in the plans for this area are far too great. The roundabout approaches from all directions can be gridlocked at rush hour times and also at other times because of the sheer volume of traffic coming down 5 mile lane ;coming from the direction of Rhoose from the new housing developments there and further west and also coming from the easterly direction from Barry itself and Cardiff. Recently it took me five minutes to drive from the roundabout of Port Road with Colcot Road to Weycock Cross not at rush hour or schools finishing time but because of the sheer volume of traffic queues and at rush-hour times the tailback coming into Barry from the east can stretch as far as Pencoedtre school. Therefore to think of housing developments of this size is absolutely mind-boggling .The infrastructure in terms of traffic cannot cope well as it is and building so many houses will exacerbate this problem to the detriment of local residents and the environment.

I am not convinced despite reading the tremendous amount of information provided that there is a need for such a large amount of new housing in the Vale of Glamorgan let alone in Barry. It is of note that the recent by election was won in our ward by Reform. The winning candidate did not turn up for the recent vote and the existing Labour representative councillors either did not attend or abstained so that the motion was passed by a meagre vote. I would suggest therefore that there is not overwhelming support in the council for building on this site and that the decision is politically influenced by the leadership of the council from people who represent areas outside the town of Barry.

I would also like to know what influence the local land owner has on the development of these sites. Are the local farmers pushing for this development or is the impulse coming from the Romilly estate?

I also think that some of the council support for this development is plainly wrong. I have read that there are local schools near to this proposed development . If you mean All Saints primary and Romilly then they are already fully subscribed and without room for an influx of more families with children. The suggestion that the train station is in easy walking distance is laughable. I live near to Weycock Cross on Pontypridd Road and I’m fairly fit. It takes me about 23 to 25 minutes to walk to Barry station and that is mainly downhill. It takes longer to come back home uphill.People living in the proposed development would have at least 35 minutes walk to reach the station and longer to walk back home. The elderly and children would take much longer therefore I think you are giving false information in this respect..

I hope you take my opinion into consideration and thank you for supplying such a large amount of supporting information.