At this morning's networking breakfast held by Rhyl Business Group we listened to a presentation given by Wyn Roberts - Programme Director for the North Wales Coast Strategic Regeneration.
This relates to a large amount of money drawn down from the Welsh Assembly Government to regenerate the area between Prestatyn and Colwyn Bay between 2009 and 2012.
The main issues currently being looked at for the money to be spent on are
An action plan is currently being put together to cover these key areas and the plan is due to be published in mid October 2009.
It should be noted that this programme is aimed at long-term improvement of the area and it is estimated that it could take up to 8-10 years to put all the elements into place.
In relation to the poor standards of housing in the area it is intended to tackle such issues as empty and under-utilised houses - there are believed to be approximately 200 in Rhyl alone and the programme will look at ways of bringing these properties up to a satisfactory standard.
With regard to education it is the intention of the programme to tackle amongst other things basic numeracy and literacy skills and expand on the provisions available for people to take part in further education and training.
Another area key to the success of the programme is unemployment in the area and prevention of illness and promotion of health and well being is central to the aim of improving employment by looking at ways and solutions to encourage and assist people back into work. There are plans to invest heavily in health facilities in Rhyl.
Development of projects such as business parks and possibly a new town market sourcing local products and services are also planned in order that there will be long term employment opportunities available.
Whilst the key areas of required spending have been established it is intended to liaise closely with community groups to ensure that funds are distributed fairly.
Some regeneration has already begun taking place in Rhyl - such as the train/bus station and work on the town centre, but this work is very much in it's early stages and there is more to be done.
However the final action plan comes together and however long it takes for the programme to be put into place in all it's parts the overall aim is to promote a new and fresh image for Rhyl - starting with making it a nice and positive place to live.
Once this has been achieved officials will turn their attention to tourism for the town, encouraging visitors to the area and thereby increasing the local economy.
A regeneration summit is planned for 22-23 October 2009 and will be held at Venue Cymru. There is a cost to attend - for more details please visit www.walesregen.co.uk
We are hoping to update these blog pages with information as we get it and will update when the action plan is finalised.
