RHYl’S multi-million-pound Queen’s Market development will be “transformative” for the town, say senior council figures.
Speaking at a Denbighshire Council communities scrutiny meeting at Ruthin’s County Hall HQ, corporate director Tony Ward told the chamber he was excited and confident the market hall would be open this summer.
Councillors also enquired about the demolished SeaQuarium site and were told talks with new businesses around the Vue Cinema were ongoing, following the attraction closing in January.
The updates came when discussing a report on Rhyl’s Regeneration Programme and ‘Waterfront Masterplan’, which included the imminent completion of the Central Rhyl Coastal Defence Scheme.
Denbighshire Council acquired several run-down buildings in need of regeneration in the town centre.
Formerly a hotel, arcade, nightclub and market hall, the council redeveloped the Queen’s Market as a mixed-use retail building – with food stalls and events space.
Cllr Delyth Jones asked the corporate director for an update on the former market hall, as it is still unknown which businesses will be part of the project.
“We are really confident that we’re going to get the facility open for the summer,” said Mr Ward.
“We’re hoping to be able to make an announcement very soon about an operator for the facility.
“We’ve been working with a company who have been advising us and helping us to get the facility fitted out and to secure the individual operators for both the hot-food stalls but also the other retail units within there.
“There has been a lot of really good interest, and a lot of good high-quality companies have signed what we call a pre-letter agreement, and again the final details of the legal agreements with them are being finalised at the moment.
“I wish I could say more than that today.
“All I can say is it’s really exciting, and I can’t wait to be able to announce when the opening date will be.”
The corporate director then said the council planned to go “big” with a marketing campaign.
He added: “We’ve got to get people excited about it. I think it’s probably the most exciting thing that’s happened for quite some years there, to be honest with you. It’s going to be transformative for the town.”
Mr Ward, though, refused to be drawn on details of plans for the site of the now demolished SeaQuarium building when questioned by councillors.
Cllr Carol Holliday asked: “Have you got any plans for where the Sea Life Centre was? That’s gone. That’s a prominent place.”
Mr Ward said: “You are absolutely right, a really prominent site at the edge of the town on the promenade. Options are being worked up at the moment around that.
“I don’t think I’m in a position to say what those plans are yet. But hopefully, in the near future, we will.
“Prior to the facility being demolished, we were already thinking what could happen there instead because it is a very prominent site, but I’m confident that we will have some positive proposals around that which we will be able to share and discuss and celebrate with members in the near future.”
Leader Cllr Jason McLellan added: “Like the Vue Cinema, where there are developments, which we are not able to go into in great detail around commercial interests.
“That site has potential developments there.
“The challenge for me and Tony (Ward) and the team is to really push that.
“The Vue Cinema, the former Sea Life, we’ve got to get it right. The challenge is to push that and keep those channels open and that development.
“We’ve got to look at it as a blank canvas, good news, exciting. The glass is half full and will be filled soon.”
Denbighshire Council was successful in attracting £13m for Rhyl from the Levelling-up Fund, as part of a bid for the former Vale of Clwyd constituency, and £20m from the UK Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods Programme.
The Rhyl Regeneration Programme is guided by the Rhyl Town Centre Vision which was developed during 2018/19.
The key areas of focus within the vision are public realm; access and movement; retail and commercial; residential; raising standards, and the Queen’s Buildings.
But the council says the vision requires a review, a process which will need to be progressed in conjunction with the Rhyl Town Board development of a 10-year vision for Rhyl – which will include a review of Rhyl’s Waterfront Masterplan.
The chamber heard how the masterplan revealed four main projects are planned:
- The first phase of a promenade scheme to help reconnect the beach to the High Street
- Town Centre Pocket Park Project, to transform a derelict site into a high-quality public realm space
- Town Centre Public Realm Project, focussed on improving the High Street and surrounding areas
- Queen’s Market Public Realm, looking to enhance the external areas of the site and help to create a transformational facility that the town can be proud of.
The committee agreed to back a future report, following the review of the Rhyl Vision, to include the town centre and waterfront that is planned during 2025.
