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".
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Mr Danter, who has pointed out that there is a small forest in between his land and Ty Hafan which will remain there, claimed on Friday that no objectors to the plans have asked to speak with him directly, despite him reaching out to them. He added that he met once with a planning official from the Vale of Glamorgan Council two weeks ago and he has managed to obtain industrial use for the land. Mr Danter said he has started preparatory work at the site to remove undergrowth and level the land.
“My feeling is that that was where it was going to end, at industrial use,” Mr Danter said. “It would be a great shame. We need a camp in Barry which can draw people in that can stay for a week and have reduced prices on the rides. It would be back to the golden days of Barry. I really thought people would support it but they say it’ll bring the wrong people here. Sadly there are a lot against it, which is absolute sheer madness. This is a fantastic opportunity for Wales and not one that comes around often.
“I’ve got permission now for industrial use on the land and if I can’t get permission for the holiday camp I’ll put factory units on it and I’ll split it up and sell the land off bit by bit. But I would have expected people around here to say they didn’t want the industrial units and would rather the holiday park.
“If someone comes to me with a good reason to not have a holiday park there and to not put industrial units there, then I will withdraw the application. But I don’t think they can. I don’t see an alternative.
“If the council rejects the holiday park plans I’ll put units on there and begin to sell the land. I’m not going to get worked up about it. If they don’t want it we’ll do what they want, but I’m committed that that land will not remain a wasteland. I’ve got people queuing up to buy the land off me so I could do it more or less right away.”
The tycoon who travels to his fair from his home near Monmouth and who says he is proud of his “transformation” of Barry, is no stranger to conflict with locals. Earlier this year he opened his arcade at Agincourt Square in Monmouth town centre with campaigners outside with banners and placards telling him the arcade was not welcome in the town. He finally got permission for the arcade after a two-year planning battle.
“They thought it would bring the wrong people to Monmouth," he added. "The arcade is getting stronger now. It was weak to start with because they were outside with placards and banners. They were bad losers. But it’s getting stronger now. And none of the things they campaigned about have actually happened. It’s bringing more people to the town, so it’s good for everyone. This holiday park will be good for everyone."
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