Why Barry Town Must Always Look At Bridgend Town

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

Now Barry Town is not Bridgend Town. Not even close. But there is a constant danger that if it is not vigilant enough it might become the urban tragedy that is Bridgend Town thanks to the arrogant incompetence of the Welsh Labour council.

A town does not normally decline through one factor alone. A group of factors combine and, and you don't realise this until you take a step back, suddenly realise that it's in trouble.

I spoke last year of the proposal to add car parking fees to the town centre and what a disaster that would be citing Bridgend Town's experience. I'm assuming that has (for now at least) been put on the shelf. But yesterday on Twitter another example came up. That of what you do to closed down retail outlets.

Again, Barry Town  has closed down shops in it's centre like all towns. But nowhere near the vast swathes that blight it's Bridgend neighbour. The most prominent is this.

The Windsor Hotel

I think I've mentioned this before in this blog. Personally given how exceptional this building is in relation to the rest of the town centre I don't think it can be judged like the rest. It's been closed down for at least a year.

An off the top of my head thought about this building is this. If ever a place seemed suitable for social housing and, say a gym at the ground level, this is it.

The Burtons in Barry Town has also closed. But I don't think that's to do with the place, given that I know that the one in Cardiff Queens Street has recently closed as well.

This though did come as a surprise. Which I saw today.

Not So Direct For Barry Town Soon

But the shop closure I want to specifically chat about is this.

Filco

This store, opened in 2015 was closed in December last year. I was personally only aware of the closure yesterday though to my defence a lot of the intervening time was spent looking after my mother in Essex. If you look at it only the For Sale sign gives you any hint of trouble. When I approached the front there was a message announcing the closure and laughably suggesting that you should you wish to shop in Filco go to neighbouring stores which included places about an hour away such as Maesteg!

A Plaid Cymru councillor Millie Collins has asked the Housing Association for news on the current position of this property. She is right to do so. Why I'm focused on this shop? Because if left empty then it reminds of Bridgend Town Centre with it's closed down Phones4U shop still a retail shell (barring the sign). And who will ever forget the McDonald's? Closed down and left to rot for seventeen years before being demolished in 2017.

Unattended shops, leave a sense of decay which in the long term damages a town. It's important that, even if it involves giving temporary leases, these buildings are used. It is why Barry Town must always constantly look at the urban tragedy that is Bridgend Town to avoid it happening there.

Until the next time.