Holiday Park Plan Near Hospice Dropped by Barry Island Owner

The Barry Island park owner dropped a big project. Henry Danter wanted a Butlins-like place near a hospice. It was next to Ty Hafan, a children’s hospice, and he spent over a million on the land. He only got permission to use it for storage.

Ty Hafan and families strongly opposed his idea, forming a group and voicing concerns. They thought it would hurt the children there, as the hospice gives special care to young patients.

Danter disagreed with the objections. Still, he won’t develop the land because he felt like he kept getting blocked and couldn’t do anything he wanted there.

He mentioned a hospice near his home in England, saying his caravan site gets along well with it. He thought his business could bring good things to Wales and believes his project could have helped Hayes Road a lot.

Over 15,000 people signed a petition against Danter’s project. Tracey Withers’ daughter, Izzy, died at Ty Hafan, and she said she would fight to protect the hospice. She wanted people to know how amazing the place is.

Karen Maidment started the petition because her grandson Jayden died at only 10 months old. He never got to visit Ty Hafan, but the hospice staff supported her family for years.

Her family needed Ty Hafan’s special, quiet space. She couldn’t imagine kids screaming nearby, finding that the noise and construction would be very difficult and intense during a tough time.

The council told Danter to stop digging at Hayes Road, but he kept doing it anyway. They took legal action last September, and he got a notice to stop in January 2024. They said he used heavy machines on the land and stored trailers and waste there, stating it wasn’t allowed.

Danter is 81 and not feeling great and does not want to keep pursuing the plan. He said they need more places for visitors and that he has spent a lot on Barry Island.

He spent over £12 million on the pleasure park. Area tourism was worth £327 million in 2023, giving jobs to almost 3,000 people. In 2012, it was worth only £171 million, while Barry Island made over £21 million in 2023, with 403,000 visitors.

Danter believes he made Barry Island great again, promising the people of Barry that change. He thinks that he has achieved this goal.