SENIOR figures in the Vale of Glamorgan Council pitted their wits against the public in a Question Time style debate held at Penarth"s Paget Rooms last week.

People packed into the venue for the annual "State of the Area" debate to raise their burning issues with the people responsible for taking key decisions on how the Vale of Glamorgan is run.

l Tom Malgraine, a father-of-two from Penarth, said: "I have two young children growing up in Penarth.

"The sports village with its swimming pool and snow dome is going to be a magnet for them when they get a bit older.

"I am very concerned that there is no safe way of walking or cycling from Penarth to the sports village site. Can"t the Vale council work together with Cardiff Council and the Welsh Assembly Government to secure funding for this project?"

Jeff James, leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: "I very much supported the idea of a bridge across the river Ely.

"I recently met with the leader of Cardiff Council and one item on the agenda was this bridge. There will be great movement of people from the Vale to that area.

"The options are the costs being covered by the developer or by a WAG grant. It is something which we will be following up on."

l Alwyn Evans of Penarth Marina said: "Cardiff Council has no intention of spending money on building that bridge. They have no plans to develop it.

"Wouldn"t it be better to focus your efforts on providing safe access across the Cogan Spur link road for pedestrians and cyclists?"

Jeff James said he felt the Vale should have got more out of the Sports Village development in the way of planning gain to provide cycle and pedestrian access - but also pointed out that the Cogan Spur link road was outside of the Vale"s boundaries.

* John Burtonshaw of Penarth asked the panel about the feasibility of opening up the barrage for road traffic at peak times to ease congestion.

Cllr Geoff Cox said: "As far as I know the barrage was never intended to be a road route."

l Leigh Stewart of Sully said she thought the Penarth Headland Link would be a "road to nowhere and back again."

She said: "This is not the south of France we are talking about, it is Penarth headland. What is the point of a walkway that can only be used for a maximum of four months a year?

"I can"t understand why money isn"t being spent instead on turning the Pier Pavilion into something like the Pump Room in Bath which is full to capacity every day."

Jeff James said: "If you look at the promenade in the winter you"ll find that it"s very busy. I think you are underselling Penarth.

"It is an attraction in its own right - always has been and always will be. The walkway is in addition to and not instead of the pavilion."

Jeff James also pointed out that much of the funding for the Penarth Headland Link was being provided by the Welsh Assembly Government in the form of a grant.

l John Evans of Penarth said: "What are you doing to encourage people not to use their cars in view of high levels of congestion and pollution?"

Geoff Cox said: "We are attempting to encourage people to use public transport by making improvements such as the bus lane at the Merry Harrier.

"Vale council staff are encouraged to car-share. However, we all have an individual responsibility to stop using our cars and to seek to use other forms of transport."