The Vale of Glamorgan Council has released a survey enabling residents to have their say on the proposed redevelopment of Belle Vue Park's pavilion and play area.

The proposals aim to demolish the old pavilion and replace it with a multi-use hall complete with a kitchen and cafe. Much of the equipment in the existing play area will be replaced with shiny new models.

The controversial plans will be funded predominantly by Section 106 funds, which were paid to the council by Crest Nicholson who developed "Penarth Heights" in the St Augustine's Ward.

They were first suggested in 2019 after a consultation revealed the existing pavilion to be "limited in its current form in terms of how far it can expand to meet the existing and future population's needs."

£680,000 of Section 106's £26 million has been set aside for the pavilion, while £100,000 has been allocated for the play area.

The Vale has applied for an additional £500,000 National Lottery grant to fund the rest. The proposals have passed the first stage of a two-part grant application process. Vale of Glamorgan Senior Planner Charlotte Raine thinks it unlikely that the full £500,000 will be granted:

"We have been advised that there is huge demand for this money from Lottery so to try and reduce the costs. Costs are changing constantly due to COVID-19 and access to materials and health and safety regulations."

Critics say the project is ill-conceived, destined to benefit a small minority of residents who were not impacted by the original "Penarth Heights" development.

Ken Gray, a resident who set up a change.org petition against the proposals, told Nub News: "S106 [Section 106] money was taken from developers to compensate communities affected by the developments - it's supposed to be used to provide alternative arrangements for the lost services.

"This is destined to be a massively underused white elephant that will benefit a tiny number of already very well-served people - mostly the local bowls team - while the rest of the community will continue to live without the services they were promised," he added.

Mr Gray also doubts the proposed cafe will make a profit, given that the park is "deserted for half the year".

Others criticise the plans for failing to recapture the Edwardian quaintness of the original 116-year-old building.

The Friends of Belle Vue Park, a community group, have come out in favour of the proposals, saying they "will be supporting the council to engage across community groups and potential users of the new facility."

To have your say, read the council's proposals and then take the survey here.

The survey centres on the proposal's specific details, not on whether the redevelopment should take place at all.

Responses are likely to guide the council's decision-making process when it comes to identifying priorities and cutting costs.