Testun llawn:
HG1 KS1 North West Barry (Weycock Cross)
KS1: Community Infrastructure
HG1 KS1: Community Infrastructure
Ref: NWB_RLDP_JVN_005
I object to the proposed allocation of Land at North West Barry (HG1 KS1) on the basis of
significant deficiencies in the RLDP’s evidence base relating to community infrastructure,
including healthcare, active travel, environmental health, social cohesion, and education. A
detailed review of BP37 – Primary, Community & Intermediate Health Care, BP3 – Rapid
Participatory HIA of the Preferred Strategy (2023), and BP3A – Rapid Participatory HIA of the
Deposit Plan (2025) demonstrates that the RLDP does not provide a credible or deliverable
strategy for supporting the level of growth proposed.
1. Healthcare Infrastructure
The Deposit RLDP does not demonstrate that sufficient primary or community healthcare
capacity will be delivered in parallel with new development. BP37 – Primary, Community &
Intermediate Health Care identifies extensive pressures within the Cardiff & Vale University
Health Board (CAVUHB) area, including:
long secondary-care waiting times
rising prevalence of long-term conditions
a 24% increase in registered population since 2015
significant growth in the 65+ population
workforce shortages and premises constraints
dental access challenges and mental-health pressures
Despite this, BP37 contains no mi ga on strategy, no delivery programme, and no capital
plan. It provides:
no costs, funding sources, or commitments on capital investment
no timelines or delivery windows
no list of healthcare infrastructure projects
no agreed expansion of GP practices or primary-care hubs
no detail on S106 or CIL contribution mechanisms
no phasing triggers linked to housing delivery
The document is descriptive rather than strategic. It identifies risks but provides no
solutions.
Cross-boundary pressures are acknowledged but not addressed. BP37 notes that residents
in eastern and western Vale frequently access healthcare in Cardiff or Cwm Taf Morgannwg,
yet there is no evidence of joint capacity modelling or agreed service expansion.
The RLDP therefore fails three key tests of soundness:
CE2 – Coherence and Effectiveness
CE3 – Deliverability
CE4 – Consistency with National Policy (PPW)
The HIAs reinforce these concerns. Both BP3 (2023) and BP3A (2025) warn that if
development proceeds without simultaneous delivery of GP, social-care, open-space, and
community facili es, significant nega ve health impacts will occur and car dependency will
increase.
For North West Barry specifically, the nearest GP prac ce (Highlight Park) is already
oversubscribed. The HIAs highlight the risk that early phases of development will outpace
healthcare capacity, reducing access for both new and existing residents.
The only mi ga on referenced is a vague commitment to “an off-site financial contribution
towards the provision or enhancement of community facilities in the area”. This is
insufficient, lacks certainty, and is likely to be delivered a er need has arisen.
2. Social Cohesion
The HIAs emphasise the importance of social cohesion, community space, and safe public
realm. The constraints of the North West Barry site make these outcomes unlikely.
The 2025 HIA warns against “designing out” legitimate social interaction and stresses the
need for inclusive, intergenerational public spaces. The 2023 HIA highlights that poorly
designed developments can increase isolation and exacerbate inequality.
North West Barry is:
a peripheral, edge-of-town site
severed from established neighbourhoods by major roads
weakly connected in terms of permeability and natural movement pa erns
These characteristics create a high risk of a socially disconnected, car-dependent estate.
3. Active Travel and Environmental Health Risks
The HIAs emphasise that active-travel routes must be safe, direct, continuous, and attractive.
The North West Barry site cannot meet these requirements due to:
severance by major roads, particularly the A4226
topography that places the site a 30–40-minute uphill walk from the nearest train
sta on
reliance on the already-congested and unsafe Weycock Cross junc on
The 2025 HIA states that active-travel routes must be well-lit, inclusive, and designed as the
easiest and most attractive op on. The complete unsuitability of the North West Barry site
for any Active Travel links, particularly those that aim to link residents to commuter hubs
such as Barry train station, mean that car dependency is baked-in to the site from day one.
The 2023 HIA highlights that behaviour change is extremely difficult where car dependency
is entrenched.
The HIAs identify the following risks:
major junctions without transformational redesign deter walking and cycling
active-travel routes along high-traffic corridors expose users to air pollution and
noise
arterial road severance undermines walkability
cumulative environmental hazards require strong mi ga on
None of these risks can be adequately mi gated at this site. The location directly adjoins the
A4226 and Weycock Cross—one of the Vale’s most congested junctions. Exposure to
transport-related air pollution and noise is therefore inherent and unavoidable, not only for
new residents of the development, but even more so for existing residents.
Furthermore, none of the three Transport Assessments in the RLDP evidence base include
an Air Quality Assessment, despite clear policy triggers. This omission is incompatible with
PPW12, TAN 18, and the Well-being of Future Generations Act.
4. Summary
The site is structurally incapable of supporting the health-enabling placemaking required by
SP4 and the HIAs. The allocation of North West Barry conflicts with:
Health Inequality Mi ga on: No guaranteed uplift in healthcare services.
Environmental Health Requirements: Exposure to air pollution and noise.
Active Travel Requirements: Inability to deliver safe, direct, attractive routes.
Infrastructure Phasing: No certainty that healthcare, education, or community
facilities will be delivered in me.
Social Cohesion: Severance and poor permeability undermine inclusive placemaking
