Residents of Weycock Cross and the surrounding area have made the claim after being given limited time to respond to a public consultation on the proposal to build 376 homes on green wedge farmland between Weycock Cross and Porthkerry Park.
Residents have raised their concerns about the fairness and accessibility of the Council’s consultation process on the Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP), saying that the volume and complexity of documents make “meaningful participation almost impossible within the time allowed to submit feedback and objections”.
These residents say that the consultation itself contains more than a thousand megabytes of PDFs spread across hundreds of separate documents – this equates to an estimated 13,000 pages of material that residents must read to fully understand and respond within six weeks of the deadline, which was on March 11.
Residents say that this makes the current consultation process inaccessible to ‘ordinary’ people with jobs, caring responsibilities or limited time, saying that “this is not a consultation, it’s a one-way information dump.”
A spokesperson for local residents, Jason Vincent, said: “The council says it wants public engagement, but the consultation is effectively inaccessible and completely undemocratic.
“No resident can realistically read 10,000+ pages of technical planning documents in a few weeks. This disadvantages the public and favours developers and consultants who have the time and expertise to navigate the system.”
Residents say that this had led them to believe that the council has “already made up their mind” about the development and are “simply hoping that most residetns will be so overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information that they will not be able to object or respond meaningfully” to the documents.
Cllr Ruba Sivagnanam, Vale of Glamorgan Council cabinet member for community engagement, equalities and regulatory services, said: “The Council recognises that many residents feel strongly about the proposed housing allocation in the north-west of Barry (Weycock Cross) in the Deposit Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) and we welcome the high level of engagement with the public consultation on the plan. Public participation is an essential part of the planning process, and we are committed to ensuring that all voices are heard.
“A public consultation on Housing Growth in Barry was held in Summer 2025, including the Weycock Cross site in Barry. All comments were considered and addressed in a consultation report forming part of the Deposit RLDP evidence base. This latest consultation provides further information on issues raised, including impacts on the strategic highways network and community infrastructure.”
Now, the residents of Weycock Cross are asking for a “fairer, more accessible” process with clear, plain English summaries of each major topic with guides on each major topic (transport, environment, housing, health, schooling), more concise information or tools to help residents understand the local impacts, and to ensure that future consultations “meet accessibility and fairness standards.”
Cllr Sivagnanam continued: “The Council recognises that the RLDP and its supporting evidence is extensive due to national legislative and statutory requirements. Technical assessments and supporting documents must be made publicly available as part of the process. To assist residents, the Council has published overview documents, including an Easy Read version and executive summaries, and residents have had the opportunity to share any feedback through a series of consultation events, with our officers also being available by phone or email if residents required any additional support.
“The RLDP must be prepared in accordance with a Delivery Agreement, which sets out who will be consulted as part of the process and the timetable for the plan preparation process. This Delivery Agreement has been approved by Welsh Government and the six-week timescale for the consultation aligns with the Delivery Agreement and the requirements set out in national planning policy.
Cllr Sivagnanam said that all responses submitted as part of the consultation will be carefully considered and will form part of the evidence reviewed by an independent Planning Inspector.
