Headland link is step closer (From Penarth Times)

Headland link is step closer

THE importance of the Penarth headland walk scheme to the town has been reinforced this week.

If everything goes well the £13.5m scheme to link Penarth Esplanade with the marina and Cardiff Bay development, is expected to be completed by 2005.

The proposal was discussed at a special meeting of the Vale of Glamorgan's economic and environment scrutiny committee in Penarth last week.

Welsh Assembly money to the tune of £7.5 million has been allocated to the project which was left over from the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation (CBDC).

The money was given to the council in the year 2000 and was expected to be used by 2005.

And the Vale County Council has applied to get a transport grant, also from the Welsh Assembly. This will hopefully be available from early next year.

Lorraine Barrett, AM for Cardiff and Penarth, said: "The walkway is essential to the town. It will be an important link between Penarth and Cardiff.

"It was a plan put forward during the time of the CBDC."

She added that if the plan does not go ahead the town will miss an opportunity as tens of thousands of people use the barrage each year.

She added: "The idea has been around for a long time and there have been a lot of delays.

"So the quicker it gets the go ahead the better."

The site itself is not ideal to build on as the structure will mainly consist of a bridge from Penarth Esplanade to Penarth Marina.

With such high tides to work against the machinery will have to be removed when the tides come in.

There has been a study conducted by the Vale Council to ensure that the impact of the work and walkway itself will be minimal to the surrounding area.

A planning application will soon be put to the Vale planning committee.

But if there are insufficient funds for the project the council will have to start looking for money from other sources.