£20m regeneration funds for seaside town rubberstamped by council
Senior councillors have endorsed a 10-year draft plan and regeneration scheme, which will invest £20 million in a seaside town from 2026.
The plan includes an initial four-year draft plan for investment into the Rhyl’s regeneration, which will include spending money on high streets, heritage, housing, work, productivity and skills, and health and wellbeing.
The funds will also support transport, safety and security, education, and opportunity.
The plans will be submitted for the UK Government’s Pride in Place Programme, which provides funds for disadvantaged communities.
Whilst the UK Government requires the programme decisions to be taken by an independent board, the funding will be received by Denbighshire County Council, with a sign-off coming from council officers.
At November’s cabinet meeting at Ruthin’s County Hall HQ, councillors were asked to endorse the draft, prior to the papers being submitted to UK Government.The plans were unanimously backed by cabinet members.
Speaking at the meeting, Tony Ward, corporate director for the economy and environment at the council, said: “This Pride and Place programme of funding will provide Rhyl with £20m over the next 10 years.
“The £20m is technically being awarded to the council, but the investment is to be directed by an independent community-led board, the Our Rhyl board.”
He added that the board had several representatives, including local businesses, North Wales Police, and the town council, as well as the community and third sector.
He added: “So it is the Our Rhyl board who will make the decisions about how it would like to see the £20m invested, based on the priorities of the people of Rhyl.”
Leverage
Mr Ward also said the £20m would be used to leverage more funds for the town.
He added that engagement would continue with the community to ensure it remained a community-led programme.
Whilst the vision report acknowledges £20m won’t be enough to transform the town alone, it suggests the funding will be used as a “catalyst” for change.
The plan states: “As representatives of the Neighbourhood Board, we recognise that £20m over 10 years is not, on its own, enough to deliver all the change Rhyl needs.
“But this plan is more than a single funding stream. It is about using that investment as a catalyst, leveraging further support from public, private, and community partners to maximise every pound and unlock new opportunities. By targeting resources carefully, we can deliver visible improvements while laying the foundations for longer-term growth and investment.”
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I was in Rhyl for the recent Welsh Independence march. The people there were great but the town itself is literally falling down. If ever there was a place in Cymru that needs support it’s Rhyl.
I have a real soft spot for Rhyl and it’s simply been a victim of changing times. The people are fantastic and I really hope this makes a difference. The trouble is, throwing money won’t necessarily solve the core problem: it’s what gets done strategically to revive the town’s prospects that will matter long term.
Any suggestions?
I could give you loads, but I’m not sure that you’re asking in good faith.
It started falling down in the late 70s when it was cheaper to go to Spain etc and all the B&Bs shut down and re used..then it all came unstuck due to bad planning but its the same at all seaside resorts in the Uk..
Of course that being the case as with a number of areas as Welsh tourism is faltering we need a tourist tax like a hole in the head .
This being the case it was a mistake to develop the destination as somewhere to go because it’s cheap rather than somewhere to go because it’s great. Changing this now needs long-term investment beyond occasional handouts like this one. If not a visitor levy, you are either proposing hiking ctax or simply giving up.
It declined along with so many, Blackpool eg. because cheap travel to Spain, Greece killed our seaside tourism trade. So you were guaranteed Sun and sea..so ppl stopped using UK resorts. They used to come to Rhyl because it was wonderful place for all the family it had everything..yes it was cheap but that wasnt the main reason.
Rhyl has had more than it’s fare share of funding and is still no better. Colwyn Bay town centre is crying out for investment but is always overlooked.
The A55 was the first nail in CBays coffin as it cut off the town from the beach..bad planning as there was a plan which was objected to and scrapped to go inland to avoid the coast..but! hindsight lol..They are trying to do things with the marine lake and railway but its badly advertised and friends recently took their young boys and didnt know about it..maybe its time to accept that you cant turn the clock back..ppl want different things..
What Rhyl needs is something totally different with global impact that completely transforms perceptions, like the Guggenheim did for Bilbao.