The Knap Area

How long do we have to wait before repairs are made to the crumbling facade of the shelters overlooking the Knap lake. These shelters are an eyesore and have been in a state of disrepair for quite some time.

Now that the Richard Taylor memorial skate park has been opened - a great facility for local teenagers - there is an urgent need to repair these shelters so that they can provide a refuge from inclement weather and sudden downpours. Society is concerned at the growing rate of obesity especially in children, we can develop and support facilities for our kids to get much needed exercise however we are being let down at the final hurdle by failing to maintain the environment in which these kids play. I am sure that the graffiti which appears on the walls of the shelters reflects the lack of respect for the local authority which itself is showing a lack of respect to the kids who use the park. Graffiti, though unsightly, is a way in which these kids can express an opinion against faceless authority.

It will enrich everyones lives if the basic fabric of the town, especially the more visible areas, are well maintained and not allowed to fall into disrepair. The longer the problem is left the more expensive it will be to put right.

The same can be said of the former swimming pool. Unfortunately this once great facility and magnet for teenagers during the summer months was allowed to rot to the point that it had become uneconomical to repair. What a shame. Short sighted penny pinching led to the decline of this facility which other local authorities had managed to maintain in their own areas. There is a great list of outdoor lidos with photographs, which are still open and prove that continuous maintenance of such facilities pays dividends in the long run, particularly the health and overall well being of the population . Much praise has been heaped on the former Knap Lido in the press over the years, a lot of people have expressed their love and fondness of the facility and shared many great memories. It is a great shame that we no longer have an outdoor pool in Barry instead we have a flood prone, poorly maintained, costly, weed infested patch which offers nothing for the casual visitor or any sort of compensation for our children to enjoy.

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