Council criticised for not taking Sea Life Centre offer

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

A councillor has criticised the council for not taking on an offer to buy Rhyl’s SeaQuarium.

Earlier this month, it was reported a holiday park company offered to buy the site, which is currently being demolished by the council.

According to the reports, the company wanted to transform the council-owned building into a tourist centre.

‘Lost chance’

The SeaQuarium closed at the end of 2023, blaming the closure on Denbighshire Council’s coastal defence work.

Cllr Chris Evans said the council could have used the finances to invest into services like libraries or public toilets.

“This could’ve been a really good attraction for Rhyl,” he said.

“The holiday park business seems to know exactly what they are doing with them, turning around campsites and holiday parks,” he said.

Although it is not known how much the company were offering, Mr Evans suggested that the funds “could’ve had a massive benefit on keeping our libraries open for longer hours, as well as keeping the public toilets open across the county.”

He added: “I think this is a lost chance that we could’ve made something good for not just the people of Rhyl, but for the whole of Denbighshire to try to make Rhyl the place that it used to be that myself and others enjoyed to go to.”

‘Fair process’

A Denbighshire County Council spokesman commented: “A fair process was followed.”

“No party put forward a credible offer for the 30-year-old building which has stood derelict since November 2023 and is no longer fit for purpose as a modern tourist attraction.”

The council concluded: “This building is in a prime location on Rhyl’s seafront, and the council is now in discussions about how the site will be used to support attracting people to the town in future once the building is demolished.