The man behind plans for a new “Butlins” style holiday park in south Wales has said he is ready to pull the plug on the venture due to significant opposition to the expansion of his tourism empire. Barry Island Pleasure Park owner Henry Danter bought the nearly 30 acres of unused land in Sully near the Ty Hafan Children’s Hospice in February which he’d hoped to fill with 500 caravans starting with 150 touring vans this holiday season.
The holiday park would supplement his Barry Island venture and bring thousands of people to the area every summer who would stay for up to a week and enjoy discounted prices for rides, he said, calling his plans “a golden opportunity for the people of Barry and the surrounding area”.
But more than 8,000 people signed a petition, set up by local woman Karen Maidment in March, calling for the plans to be stopped. Ms Maidment, a bereaved grandmother of a former Ty Hafan Hospice user, said the peaceful spot for the hospice needs to be protected. In a statement earlier this year Ty Hafan said that it would be concerned by "any proposals whatsoever which might impact the security, safety, privacy, and tranquillity of our hospice and memorial gardens".
