Vale Council Block Beach Hut Community Surgery
Vale MP Alun Cairns has described a decision to block the MP from holding a community surgery in one of the beach huts on Barry Island as “ridiculous”. Mr Cairns attempted to book an open Saturday morning surgery for local constituents in a beach hut during a busy Saturday on Barry Island. However, the proposal was blocked by the Vale Council after being told that his request was “commercial”.
Mr Cairns said: “The beach huts are barely being used and I wanted to meet residents on Barry Island in a venue that was accessible whilst at the same time draw attention to the possible different uses for a beach hut.
“I am very disappointed that my bid was blocked on such weak reasoning, we should be using these beach huts for a variety of purposes. Instead, they are sat empty thanks to short sighted decision making. I will be writing to the leader of the Vale Council to encourage a wholesale review of these beach huts as the current situation is untenable.
“The reasoning given by local authority for blocking my request is a very strange and vague response. It is important to have a clear policy on a multi million project so that the community can benefit and the huts can have a long term future. What better way to use the huts than for the local community to meet with their elected representatives?.”
ENDS