Barry Waterfront developers to be ordered to cease building new homes

A council has been given the power to prevent the building of new homes in a seaside town after developers failed to build shops and restaurants on site.

Action is being taken by the Vale of Glamorgan council after repeated delays to shops and restaurants that were planned as part of Barry Waterfront.

It means the construction and selling of new homes can be stopped.

The consortium of developers, Taylor Wimpey, Barratt and Persimmon, said they were working to "address matters".

The district centre of shops and restaurants for the development was originally due for completion in September 2017.

The council's planning committee has now been given the go-ahead for planning officers to issue a Breach of Condition Enforcement Notice and a Stop Notice to the developers.

It gives the council the power to halt building work until the retail units are delivered.

Authorisation has also been given to begin legal action if the notices are not complied with, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A temporary 28-day stop notice had already been issued to the consortium of developers ahead of the meeting, preventing the sale of any new homes, but more permanent action can now be taken.

The council will be able to tell the developers to stop the construction of homes of the next phase of the South Quay Waterside development, which includes plans for 171 properties.

Councillor Jonathan Bird, cabinet member for planning and regeneration said: "It is not acceptable for the developers to show such scant regard to their obligations.

"Barry Waterfront is now a thriving community and we want to see its development continue in this vein. This means delivering the scheme that was agreed at the outset, not simply one part of it."

The wider redevelopment plans for Barry Waterfront include 2,000 new homes, waterfront cafes, bars and restaurants, large retail units, offices, a primary school and a hotel.

The consortium of developers said: "The consortium has met with the Vale of Glamorgan council to discuss the delay to the delivery of the district centre and we are working positively to address matters as soon as possible."