Revamp of ’embarrassing’ Barry leisure centre suffers setback

Barry: So, the whole situation with the Barry leisure centre is a bit of a mess right now. They were planning to revamp the place, which has been called “embarrassing” by some locals, but it’s hit a snag because they just don’t have enough cash.

Back in April, council officials pointed out that the changing rooms at Colcot Sports Centre are in pretty bad shape and really need replacing. They even had a public consultation, and folks seemed to agree that fixing up what’s there is the way to go. But here’s the kicker: the costs have gone up, and even though there’s a grant application for £500,000, it’s still not enough.

Now, if you’re familiar with the area, Buttrills Playing Fields is just across the road from the changing facilities. One councillor shared her frustrations about having to juggle between Buttrills and Colcot for her kids’ football practices. She said it was a hassle, especially with parking and the kids not wanting to use the facilities.

Cllr Belinda Loveluck-Edwards expressed how frustrating it was to see kids struggling with wet clothes and nowhere decent to change. It’s a real issue, especially for girls who often miss out on playing because of the lack of proper facilities.

Cllr Gwyn John, who’s in charge of leisure and sports, said it’s really disappointing that the current changing rooms are still causing problems. He mentioned that it’s affecting girls’ and women’s football in Barry, which is a big deal.

They’ve done some initial checks on the site, and the goal is still to provide quality sports facilities. But David Knevett, the council’s operational manager, pointed out that the current building is way past its prime and, honestly, it’s just embarrassing for women and girls.

The changing rooms have been around since 1963! If they get that £500,000 grant from the Cymru Football Foundation, it could help, but they also tried to get funding for a pump track, and that got turned down.

Cllr John stressed that if they don’t get new changing rooms soon, the football teams in Barry might not have anywhere to change, which is a serious concern. Cllr Lis Burnett, the council leader, also expressed her disappointment, saying it’s frustrating to have to piece together funding from different sources. If one falls through, it can jeopardize the whole project.

She assured everyone that they’ll keep looking for ways to make this happen. Fingers crossed they can sort this out soon!