Queen’s Buildings redevelopment – Rhyl

A Rhyl Town Centre masterplan was developed by the Council, Rhyl Town Council and the business, community and voluntary sectors, to develop a vision for Rhyl. The masterplan will provide the town with a sustainable future by the delivery of realistic and achievable actions.

Following this, in March 2019, the Council acquired a number of adjacent buildings in the town centre fronting onto the seafront promenade, known collectively as Queen’s Buildings. The buildings were in a dilapidated state, with no active uses on upper floors and significant void levels on the ground floor.

As part of the wider regeneration strategy for Rhyl, the Queen’s Buildings were acquired with specific aims of:

• Addressing the eyesore nature of the partially derelict and dilapidated site to improve the physical appearance of this key area of the town centre, providing a much more positive image of the town for shoppers and visitors;
• To provide a new mix of uses on the site to help reinvigorate the town centre, with a clear focus on returning the site to a productive economic use and providing new business and employment opportunities;
• To improve confidence in the town centre, increasing footfall and helping to stimulate further private sector investment in the town.

Due to the extremely poor state of the site, a significant number of the buildings will need to be demolished, before any development commences. Contractors Wye Valley Demolition started demolition on site in January and are scheduled to finish this summer.

There are plans in place to preserve as many items throughout the refurbishment of the site as possible. One exception to the demolition is the red brick building which fronts onto Sussex Street, an attractive red brick façade which is within Rhyl Town Centre Conservation Area, which will be retained and restored, forming one of the entrance to a new event space and market hall.

The site will be developed in phases, the first of which is due to start later this summer. Phase One will involve: 

• The development of an indoor market hall to accommodate hot food kiosks, permanent market stalls, temporary market stalls and seating for up to 200 people dining. The focus of this will be good quality local/Welsh produce;
• The development of a flexible indoor space which could accommodate a range of events including speciality markets, exhibitions, music, theatrical and film performances;
• Toilets and a bar area which will serve both the above spaces; and
• External market / event space and high quality public realm/landscaping.

Future phases for the sites development include potential commercial units and seafront residential.

A planning application has been submitted and is currently in the process of being determined. This can be viewed on the Planning Portal, application reference 45/2021/0040.

Photo credit: B.C. Photography