by For one popular seaside town in Rhyl, there was always something to do outside, especially in the warm weather. And on softer days, Rhyl’s shops, arcades and clubs were always available to ply the trade. But catering to the town’s tourists today, the people of Rhyl are lamenting that there is no choice, come rain or shine.
The owner of the business, Mark Chesterton, took a leap of faith by opening ‘Flaunt It Vintage’, his dream vintage fashion shop, in July 2022. But this week, as he waited unharmed for customers, he took to social media express his concern. the eerie silence of the streets around his store.
On a Wednesday evening at 1.30pm, when the paths should have been bustling with life, instead they were deserted. Posting two poignant photos online, Chesterton said: “We’re usually full of customers at this time of year. This street is usually full of traffic and foot traffic. on?”.
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Located in Bodfor Street, Flaunt It Vintage offers an eclectic mix of sustainable fashion from the 1950s to the present day, ideally located close to both bus and train stations and just a stone’s throw from the High Street. However, despite its prime location, it often feels isolated from the usual commercial hustle and bustle.
It is in an area where takeaways, taxidermists and tattoo parlors have sprung up among the shops. From here it is only a seven minute walk to the beach.
At one time train passengers had the opportunity to catch views of the sea from the High Street. Now, say residents, all that remains is a “concrete wall” where a seaside attraction was built and has since been closed, reports North Wales Live.
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“It’s quiet everywhere,” Mark sighed. “There’s no reason to come to Rhyl. Last Saturday there was no one in the shop, which is unheard of, and today it’s dead again. It’s terrible, absolutely terrible.”
“I was speaking to a lady just up the road who has been in her shop for 11 years. She said she’s never known anything so bad. Abergele. Towyn is the busiest – because it entertains.”
The crackdown has hit towns and cities across the UK but sometimes it seems the seaside resort has been earmarked for further punishment. The weather didn’t help, nor did the return of overseas tourism. In Wales, these have been exacerbated by council cuts and, in Denbighshire, rubbish bags littered after stuttering efforts to revamp bin collections. Visitors are said to be overwhelmed by the 20mph rules.
When it seems things can’t get any worse, there is a sense in Rhyl that it does. The Sun Center is long gone and the storm-damaged SC2 water park has closed entirely this year. To top it off, the 2024 Rhyl Air Show has been cancelled.
Even when money is spent on new facilities, things don’t always go as planned. The third Public Space Protection Order was imposed three years in a row in April but residents complain that drunken and disorderly people are rarely moved. And shops keep closing.
On social media, a shopper sympathized with Mark. “We are just the same, dead to us too.” A toy shop recently opened in town and there was “barely anyone there”, she said. One resident said it was hardly surprising. “Why go to Rhyl when Prestatyn has everything in one place and Rhyl has everything on board?” he said.
A crystal shop owner and a medical center are in the same boat. “There is no footfall this year,” it was said. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m doing well with referrals. But if this was walk-in based, I wouldn’t be out of business.”
Traffic wardens reportedly outnumber street cleaners in a struggling town centre. One local woman described Rhyl as a “ghost town”. He is far from alone in his suffering – residents say they are similar to places like Bangor and Holyhead – and there is a glimmer of hope that it is only temporary.
The £69m Rhyl Mid Coast Defense scheme is overshadowing everything at the moment. Part of the promenade is off limits until autumn 2025 and cranes, trucks and drone diggers provide a constant backdrop. A new beach access ramp is nearing completion and, once open should provide improved beach access from the High Street at least.
Mark accepts work as a necessary evil. “Maybe the sea defenses have something to do with what’s happening, and the weather is bad this year,” he said. “Visitors usually come to the shops later in the day, after going to the beach, but that’s not happening this year.
“More shops are closed than open, so there’s less incentive for people to come into the town centre. When that happens, you get a domino effect. If people want to shop, they tend to go to places like Llandudno, Chester or Liverpool.
Having launched the business with hope and enthusiasm just two years ago, Mark has to face some uncomfortable realities. “I have a lot of stock and a year left on my lease,” he said. “I can only do it hard until next summer and see what happens.
“I’ve got a good landlord and I don’t pay business rates but I can barely afford to pay myself. This time last year the shop had its biggest sale but we’re not far off in a month Next July – I won’t even take £1,000 this month.
“I’ve got a mortgage to pay and a family to support. If it comes to it, I have my online business to fall back on. But I’d rather keep the shop if I can. community and I want something put back into the local area.
“We all know that Rhyl is not where it used to be even 10 years ago. Something has to be done to stop the decline. I don’t know what the solution is but Dune County Council should nagel start by asking local people for their ideas.”
The resort’s new £12.6 million Queen’s Market was completed in June but will not open until an operator is found. Among residents, the news has been met with a mixture of surprise, anger and tired resignation that yet another major project is struggling to meet its billing.
“I was brought up in Rhyl and I love the place and its community. But decisions made by the council over the years have not helped. The units at the new market hall are tiny, a quarter the size of my shop, and they could be too expensive too. I look at places like Wrexham and Mold, where there are large spaces available for small independent businesses, and I don’t know why that’s not available here.”
Many believe that Rhyl’s decline can be traced back to the closure of the Ocean Beach funfair. By the time the gates closed in 2007, it was looking decidedly run down – but at least it provided the kind of entertainment the town was famous for and loved.
Led by Adam Williams, the Tir Prince location in Tuagh filled the gap. The funfair has become a major magnet in helping fill the resort’s 60,000 visitor beds, making Towyn an under-the-radar powerhouse in the region’s tourism economy.
In contrast, Rhyl’s B&B supply has steadily declined, some of which have been converted to multi-occupancy homes. Unless they are staying in local holiday parks, for the most part, visitors now have to choose between a Travelodge and a Premier Inn.
Residents know things are not good but are reluctant to draw attention to the problems in a town that has suffered more than its fair share of negative publicity. Even in a month when the “worst-seaside-town” tag was applied to Bangor, there are fears that unwanted stereotypes will be reinforced.
And there are positive trends. House prices defied national trends to rise by 3% in the year to July. Pubs and restaurants remain busy. Reservations are good at local holiday parks. And retail blues haven’t affected every part of town.
But rates of deprivation remain high and, like other coastal communities across Britain, Rhyl is still perceived as a “dumping ground” for vulnerable people. At off-board retail units, people complain that the town has been taken over by kebab houses, bars, vape shops and charity shops
A local woman was saddened to see how far the town had gone. “All the local parks are broken and not being maintained,” she wrote. “I went for a walk along the prom with the kids, I can’t even see the sea because of the sea protection work going on.
