2015 was a great year for Barry – 2016 could be even better.
The start of the new year has been marked with the traditional Barry Island swim, the optimism and fun of which has succeeded in capturing the mood of Barry on the up as we enter 2016.
I am very pleased that this body-cooling yet heart-warming tradition of seeing the new year in with a laugh in the sea has continued for its thirty second year. Hundreds descended on Barry Island to launch themselves into the Bristol Channel from Whitmore Barry – one of the very best beaches in the UK.
It is appropriate that Barry’s new year celebrations should take place on the Island, the site of the new fairground, an icon of the town’s 2015 pivot towards greater economic success.
At the start of last year, the fairground site was empty, with only ruins of the further tourism hub protruding from the enclosure. Now, the new fairground thrives, attracting thousands of visitors to Barry and boosting local businesses.
Helping broker the deal between the landowners and developers that made this possible was challenging but hugely exciting. This excitement was shared by people across South Wales – a video posted on my facebook page showing the rides arriving was viewed over 300,000 times.
This excitement continued up until Christmas week, when Wales’ largest Ferris Wheel arrived. Another landmark for Barry Island to keep the visitors coming!
Progress in 2015 wasn’t limited to the Island, new businesses and developments are springing up and taking root. Simon Baston’s Waterfront Pumphouse, which houses Academy Espresso coffee and the Smoke House restaurant, is a great example of an innovative new project taking the town forward.
There are further developments on the horizon that could bring exciting new leisure facilities to the town. Barry is benefitting from round after round of private investment made possible by the positive conditions created by the UK government’s long-term economic plan.
We have good reasons to be positive heading into 2016, but we mustn’t be complacent. There are serious obstacles that may hold the local economy back this year. The Council’s proposed parking charges have the potential to kill trade on Holton Road, their failure to build the link road to the Island on time deters tourists and their attitude towards section 106 agreements is starting to worry investors.
Let’s look forward to a great year ahead whilst encouraging local Council bureaucrats to get behind Barry instead of standing in the way of growth.