Denbighshire Council shares Rhyl vision

Jun 25 2008 by Martin Williams, Rhyl Visitor

LAST weel, the Visitor challenged Denbighshire County Council to share its vision for the future of Rhyl. Here is a response from Iwan Prys Jones, Denbighshire’s Corporate Director of Environment.

IT is always helpful when a debate is generated about something as important as the future of Rhyl. However, it is important the debate is focused on what Rhyl needs to be in 15 years time, and not what Rhyl was 20 years ago.

The tourism industry has changed and is changing. Rhyl is no longer competing with other seaside resorts in the UK, it is competing against a world tourism product with a much greater emphasis on short-travelling to many different destinations.

It is simply not good enough to hark back to the kind of facilities and attractions Rhyl had 20 or 40 years ago.

I believe that Rhyl has an exciting future ahead of it. Victorian and Edwardian entrepreneurs did not seek to recreate what used to exist in Rhyl when they were building up the town, they looked at market opportunities around them and built on them to develop a vibrant economy.

“Rhyl needs a 52 week-a-year economy. It is no longer good enough to depend on eight or 10 weeks a year for its income.

The town is currently seeing significant public sector investment and major private sector funded projects are under development.

Rhyl needs to take advantage of these projects and reinvent itself for the 21st century. Developments such as the harbour regeneration and Ocean Plaza will be significant catalysts for future growth, and we need to seize these opportunities and make sure that residents and visitors to Rhyl benefit from them.

There are proposals for major town centre regeneration, to put Rhyl on a par with some of its neighbouring town centres, giving people another reason to visit the town.

The improvements to the Promenade are there specifically to make the place look and feel a nicer place to visit.

You ask what is the Drift Park for? Well I see lots of people using the Promenade on a weekly basis, many children and families using the new facilities that have been provided instead of the Promenade being used by the odd dog walker.

Rhyl is making progress. I think it is a mistake to look too much to the past and to seek to recreate what worked in Rhyl 20 or more years ago.

Wearing “rose tinted” nostalgic spectacles won’t bring change or improvement in Rhyl; neither will continuing to criticise the town, ensuring that its reputation and image remains negative.”

TOURISM brings in around £146m a year to the local economy and this figure is holding steady. Tourist Information Centres in Rhyl report that demand for accommodation outstrips supply.

A recent survey found that people’s perception of the improvement works being carried out in Rhyl showed that:

49% of residents felt safer on the streets

81% of businesses thought the alley gates project was making Rhyl safer

62% perception that Rhyl looked cleaner

60% of residents felt that the housing stock had improved

78% of residents thought that Rhyl Community College improvements would have a positive impact

86% of businesses felt the West Parade building developments were positive

68% of businesses supported the Ocean Plaza development.