Ty Hafan: Fear holiday park by kids hospice will taunt families

Building a holiday park next to a children's hospice will "taunt" families dealing with the trauma of losing their children, a mother has said.

Barry Island Pleasure Park's owner has submitted plans for the park next to Ty Hafan hospice in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Parents said their children would not have had such a peaceful death if a holiday park was next door.

Ty Hafan has formally objected to the application.

Henry Danter defended his plans for the park, saying he would be the "best neighbour Ty Hafan could ask for".

But Natalie Ridler told BBC Radio Wales Breakfast: "Having to hold the hand of your dying child while listening to healthy families enjoying this next door is more trauma added onto a very traumatic situation."

Her son, Morgan, died in palliative care after he was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer in 2021.

The three-year-old, from Swansea, was transferred under the care of Ty Hafan for the final hours of his life.

"Although what we were about to go through was awful, it was almost like a soft blanket around you," his mother said.

The large site is situated between the hospice and Beechwood College, a specialist educational facility, which has also opposed the plans.

In July, a planning application was made to use land on Hayes Road, Sully, for storage containers, and a fresh bid has now been lodged to store caravans and motorhomes on the site.

Ty Hafan, in Sully, near Penarth, provides care and support to children with life-shortening conditions and their families, and is surrounded by memorial gardens for bereaved families to visit.

It is a "very sacred site" for Ms Ridler.

"We all feel that there is a little bit of our children there," she added.

"Having a space to escape to and breathe is so important for not only bereaved parents, but for children who use that facility long-term that aren't going to live a full life."

Micaela Turner's son, Cai, was diagnosed with a very rare and severe congenital multisystem disorder when he was a baby.

He was not expected to live past the age of two, but he died just before his 12th birthday last year at Ty Hafan.

Micaela said: "If there was a caravan park or a holiday park next door here when Cai was alive, I think it would have changed my decision where I wanted Cai to die.

"I would have found it hard knowing there would be people next door having fun and creating noise and not understanding there's a children's hospice next door, and Cai wouldn't have had the experience he had," she said.

"There were lots of times I needed five minutes to process what was going on. I knew my child wasn't coming home.

"I knew that I was going to watch my son die over the next few days. I would often come and sit by the sea to take away some of the anxieties and fears."

Cai received care at Ty Hafan for more than 11 years and took his last walk around the grounds.

He stayed in a room overlooking the sea and close to the boundary line at the lower end of the hospice where children stay before they die.

Micaela said the noise from the holiday park would be a concern as the boundary line is at the lower end of the hospice where Cai stayed in his final days.

"We brought Cai here for his last walk to this area because he loved the sea, the birds and the wind and loved the natural environment. We knew it was his last walk so we knew it was important," she said.

"The tranquillity, security and safety of Ty Hafan has to be kept the way it is."

She said it would be detrimental to the hospice if the caravan park was built and children could not have the same experience that Cai had.

Marie Jones' youngest son Alfie, 12, has a rare genetic condition which means he is unable to walk or talk. He is deaf, partially sighted and needs someone to feed him.

Marie is also against the plans as she said it would be a tragedy to have the park built a few feet away from the memorial garden.

"The memorial garden is just so peaceful and quiet and it's really important it stays this way," she said.

"It wouldn't be a place of tranquillity, a place to come and rest because the boundary line is just so close.

"Families feel safe here and families can just recover and relax... I think it would make us look differently about how we use Ty Hafan."

The college said having a peaceful and safe environment was vital and plans to develop the holiday camp would have a serious impact on the health and wellbeing of students.

It said the number of people, noise and traffic resulting from the development would make it hard "to provide the necessary therapeutic and safe environment".

Owner Henry Danter said the holiday park would be "the talk of Wales" and he would be the "best neighbour Ty Hafan could ask for".

"I can tell you, Henry Danter will make this site really picturesque," said Mr Danter.

"It's a jungle at the moment but I'll make it into beautiful gardens, with palms trees, olive trees, roses and fountains."

He said the park would not be "interfering with anyone" because "you've got to walk at least 10 minutes to get there".

Mr Danter added that the site would benefit the hospice as people who needed to be close by could access accommodation.