What should we do with Rhyl?
Post categories: Rhyl
| 10:09 UK time, Tuesday, 22 September 2009
As a study is under way to come up with ideas to redevelop Rhyl's visitor attractions, we're asking what you think the resort needs.
Denbighshire Council, the Department of Economy and Transport of the Welsh Assembly Government have commissioned a report [Redeveloping Rhyl's Attractions] to "investigate the future of all weather visitor attractions in Rhyl and how to reinvigorate the appeal of this important coastal town".
So what do you think?
Apart from the skytower, the Children's Village has received lots of criticisms from locals over the years and now with the old fun fair flattened, what could be brought to Rhyl to win back the tourists and complement the new-look Prom, aka the Drift Park, [seen right]?
Planners are certainly thinking big what with the idea for a marina opposite the old former fun fair site and linked via an impressive £5m footbridge.
Look what has been done with Salford Quays, Portsmouth's Gunwharf, and Brighton Marina.
So, what should we do with Rhyl? There's no denying you loved the place. But what's left to try?
Rhyl has had the outdoor pools [old and new], there have been numerous fairs, sideshows, theatres and even a pier.
Any ideas?
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Growing up in Rhyl, I saw one tourism development disaster after another. They demolished the pier, then the Pavilion Theatre, and replaced them with... nothing. The Victorian architecture and appeal of the front has been all but destroyed with all manner of modern additions from monorails to daft towers. Now, with all the junk on the prom, you can't even see the sea from the high street. The sea was the attraction then, didn't need all the tourism gimmicks and 'attractions.'
There's still some history left in Rhyl. Before it all gets demolished, how about just restoring some of what's left of the old architecture, such as the indoor market buildings, the queens and other hotels on the prom. Bring back what made Rhyl what it was, don't keep adding junk that nobody wants.
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In 1952 we built The White Rose Garage which has since been demolished to make way for The White Rose Centre , at least we retained Mr Brookes “White Rose” as a memory of his bus company.
Rhyl’s problems have a great deal to do with cheap and nasty fairground style entertainment lobby that appear to have had undue influence with regard to planning in this town .
Rhyl appears to have embraced this culture, how else could you justify the existence of the “Children’s Village” , a facility which totally obscures the “SEA” from the very centre of this seaside town. What nit wit dreamt that one up?
Llandudno thrived by standing apart from the “Kiss me Quick” operator and refusing access to that element. Despite the continental drift of the annual holiday maker I suspect a great many Rhyl residents look at Llandudno with envy.
The original Marine Lake amusement site was attractive but the “bomb site” that has just been removed from the promenade has always been an eyesore.
The present dream of a marina would undoubtedly be a vast improvement to the harbour area but the proposed cycle bridge is already causing questions to be ask regarding its viability. I still can’t understand why a parallel construction to the existing bridge was deemed impossible.
Rhyl is in need of a jolly good clean up and a few visionary hoteliers ,it has all the features required to reassert itself as holiday destination provided the derelict building are removed and no one is permitted to attach a covering of plastic to the remaining Victorian buildings.
Llandudno or Saundersfoot have retained their cliental , so there is a demand despite what the despondent prophets would have us believe
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I grew up in Rhyl and as a teenager and into my early 20s worked on the prom. We always thought of the prom and Rhyl town as rather tatty. I have been back over the years and more recently with my kids. This year I visited with my partner and wandered around without kids. Rhyl is now absolutely AWFUL and the two miles either side along the coast road even worse. I don't know how best to regenerate. I saw Llandudno and Rhos on Sea on the way back and they looked very respectable. Rhyl was terrible and looked even worse this time along the prom derilict and very run down. It was very sad really. The easy solution would be flatten the lot , but that is not practical. How did the town council let it happen??? It must surely need millions to put it all right. Quite depressing really but I don't have to live there and wouldn't return unless my parents still lived there . Goodness knows what I shall see the next time I visit them.
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I have been a regular visitor to Rhyl (and surrounding areas) for over 50 years (at one stage living there for over 4 years). On my visits now I despair at what past Planners have done to the town. The mass of concrete that litters the sea front is appalling. Where has the community spirit gone - probably carted away along with the Pier and the Pavillion. How could elected Councillors have allowed this to happen? Whoever was responsible for passing these plans should be publically named and shamed.
If the Planners et el want inspiration as to how to attract new visitors and bring back the 'old' visitors perhaps they should look to neighbouring towns along the coast - Rhos / Llandudno / Conwy. They have not allowed their repective 'sea fronts' to become polluted by meaningless/useless pieces of concrete that obliterate the very essence of a 'sea front'. There are large parts of the 'sea front' in Rhyl where the sea isn't visible!!! They also have clean, attractive 'back streets' and shops as well.
There are enough caravan sites along the coastline adjacent to Rhyl which provide facilities for children and their parents already. What makes Rhyl council think that the people staying in these caravans would want to visit Rhyl (via an expensive bus service) every day or so to use Rhyl council's expensive facilities?? Haven't the Council aleady learnt from past mistakes? Clear the 'prom' - give people clean open spaces to enjoy the views and the sands without having to negotiate a concrete legoland. Simple pleasures are comng back - walking, cycling - even for children.
Leave the funfairs and amusements to the like of Alton Towers - concentrate on your assets - sea / sand / views - and let your visitors relax when they visit.
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Firstly, credit where it's due, a lot of the old B+B's along the front, which were previously run down, have been renovated and their old structures/shapes have remained intact. This is a start at least. Some of the arcadas and buildings in between them still look tatty however.
I think if Rhyl is to continue to attract tourists, it needs to change the type of attractions it boasts. Arcades were good forms of entertainment for british holiday makers in the 80's, but what type of people realistically want travel to somewhere to play out of date games and dodgy gambling machines these days?
Look around at the Geography of Rhyl. It's a unique place. It has several miles of beach, a harbour and is surrounded by hills and beautiful countyside. Along with the attractions we already have, why not think outside the box a bit and use these natural resources we have to make our town come into it's own. We need to use the sea and beaches to our advantage to attract tourists.
IDEA: A couple of years ago an idea for Hover Craft rides/trips from Rhyl was mentioned in the local papers. Why Hasn't this happened or even been mentioned since? It would attract a completely different type of tourist, both day trippers and maybe even people on weekend breaks. This would boost the trade hotel's, B&B's and bars in the area as well as giving rhyl a reputation for having somthing other than arcades and the sun centre.
I understand the Marina is to be renovated, so this in turn with the hovercrafts could help transform Rhyl from a slobs paradise to a water sports/marine resort. This could just be the start. The is coutless ways we could use the ocean if a bit of investment was available. For example a well run company offering corportate fishing trips, rhyl would be ideal for this.
Whats i'm saying basically is stop buliding new concrete structure and use the resources we have been blessed with in this otherwise beutiful part of Wales
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I agree with flattening the junk and letting us see the sea. The nicest bit of the prom is the undeveloped bit East of the sun centre. Also someone mentioned hovercraft rides why not boat rides out to see the Seals they are ther sometimes ! The prom is better these days and i recently had a trip with my family round the fair at the childrens village a ride on the train and get an ice cream - spent a fortune for not much entertainment ! train rides takes you from the sun centre to the cinema via a graffiti fied back alley (NOT VERY SCENIC)!!! By far the best attraction was the Air show earlier this year - hundreds of people turned out - more quality free stuff and less of the concrete and x factor has not beens !!
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Today I was feeling very alone,so I took myself off to Rhyl for the day.I have many happy memories of when I was grow up there and when I use to work there.So I took a long stroll around the arcades (as that was were I worked ,plus on the fair ground)in and out of all the arcades.oh it must have been five or six times in each,watching people enjoying themselves.OK so I didn't spend much money in there as I don't have much,but I was thinking back to happier days.I went into one called "Mr B's",I was strolling round when quite a plump young lady with blond hair came up to me and said."Have you lost something?" I SAID "No WHY?" she said ,"You have been in here a few times today and you are on camera" I tried to explane what I was doing was reminiscing ,but I don't think she understood,she just made me feel like a criminal.You wonder why people don't go there any more.Its because of the attitude of the young people there today.If I had spoken to someone like that when I was working there,I would have been sacked.Where as she just went back to taking to the group of young men that were hanging around there.I went on to the next arcade where they were Really nice to me,they could see I was upset and asked what was wrong.Even they could not believe it when I told them.
Needless to say I won't be going back there again and I dare say thats happened to a few people and thats why Rhyl is not getting the families there like it use to.
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I think some people are unnecesarily pessimistic in their outlook. Rhyl and the surrounding area has so much to commend it - it is a question of repositioning itself.
I think we need to link tourism with leisure and new technologies to ensure that the regeneration of North Wales leads to quality jobs and facilities which appeal to tourists as well as providing quality facilities for the local population.
Following on from my books The Reso (local housing estate) and Beyond the Reso, I'm now involved in developing some regeneration ideas for the area which aim to develop a cultural and media centre for all the creative and performing arts. I think this would give local artists in all forms an opportunity to showcase their skills - icluding local restauranteurs showing off the best food from the coast and Clwyd Valley. Themed holidays with History, gourmet and talent and media aspects would develp a creative base in the area and the media sectors could then support local entrepreneurs and help reduce the exodus of talented young people from the area.
It is too easy to blame the council for past decisions - they were operating on small budgets and limited vision.
Certainly we could do with a major hotel to complement development!
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My son brought his family from Daventry to visit us at Prestatyn and took his son and daughter to Rhyl prom and the drift park and also the steam train ride at the Marine lake, they all had a great time and were very impressed, i think the council have done a great job its just a pitty they dont tidy things up very quick like burnt out buildings graffeti etc.
They were amazed there was no boat trips round the wind farm, boats for hire or a boat trips around the Marine lake.
The airshow in August was excellent more attractions like that and i think Rhyl will be back on the map.
There seemed to be more people visiting Rhyl this year than i have seen for a long time.
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