|
 With
shops stretching for nearly a mile, Holton Road is the largest
single shopping street in Barry. Once a main thoroughfare, various
traffic schemes have pushed through traffic away from the King Square
shopping area, and the area around the old town hall is now
pedestrianised. With a mixture of family owned businesses and
national names, convenient parking in nearby side streets, and
without the traffic hassles or distances involved with shopping in
Cardiff, the future of shopping in Holton Road is looking better now
than it has in the last thirty years!
 Major
town centre redevelopment plans in the 1980's proved controversial,
and legal challenges by members of the public led to the plans
eventually being abandoned. In the intervening twenty years, the face
of shopping changed, the docks declined further (taking more trade
away from the town centre), and the rise of out of town shopping, and
Cardiff city centre, only hastened the decline.
 In
the first few years of the 21st century, there were a succession of
roadworks that hit the town centre badly. The gas and water utilities
both scheduled major roadworks that dramatically interefered with
traffic movement through the town, and hit trade hard. As an example,
in 2006 Dan Evans department store celebrated its centenary in Barry,
followed by the shock announcement that it would be closing. A sad
day for the owners and emplyees - all Barry folk.
 Money
had been found to renovate the old town hall, King Square and
Central Park, and at the end of 2006 the scheme finally came to
fruition, complete with a brand new and modern library. In 2007, work
to create a "public realm" in Holton Road started. These
works were planned in conjunction with the Holton Road Traders
Association, who made it clear to the four contractors chosen to bid
for the work, that ANY further traffic disruption would be
unacceptable. Fortunately, two of the contractors were sympathetic,
and one of these was eventually chosen to do the work.
 Since
then, the works are proceeding satisfactorily. Disruption to
business seems to be minimal, and traffic is still flowing along
Holton Road.
Holton Road is
definitely "Open for Business!".
As well as
national high street names, Holton Road boasts many family owned and
run shops that can provide a shopping "Aladdin's Cave".
Work by some of the Holton Road landlords have resulted in some new
shops being enticed into Holton Road, and the number of quality shops
has increased.
 There
is also the street market held every Tuesday in front of the town
hall, with many stalls bursting with bargains, and occasionally, a
continental market visits.
 Parking
is available on-street, particularly east of King Square, and there
is a free multi-storey car park at the Court Road junction. Some
parking is available in local side streets, and there are a few
"pocket car parks" dotted around the stree.
Click
here for more images |
