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A demolition plan has been submitted for a struggling North Wales high street. Denbighshire council secured money from the last UK Government and the Welsh Government to revamp part of Rhyl town centre. Part of the south end of the high street has already been demolished after becoming structurally unsafe. Now Denbighshire wants to knock down additional buildings - that are lying empty - to clear the area. This comes as the town struggles to revive its town centre with a high number of empty units. Read our recent piece on the high street here. Given the empty spaces on the street the council said there was not the demand for new units at this spot. Instead the local authority wants to create a "pocket park" with an application now submitted to the council's own planning department. These are small areas with green space and seating. But the proposal has sparked concerns locally. Some have questioned why modern attractive units have not been built or the remaining properties revamped for retail and housing. Others were concerned about who would use the park. One person said: "It will become another area for anti social behaviour" and another said "seagulls and smackheads" will be the ones using it in a jibe at the scheme. A third added: "Absolute NO! More parks for drug users. Bring back something like the roller skating park for all ages to use." Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community But there were others who liked the idea. One said: "I actually like the concept of the pocket park. I think it is imaginative. "The town centre has nothing like it. Hopefully people will see it as an asset. Places like these work in other towns." In response to feedback the council said: "It is important to note that the overwhelming majority of respondents who had constructive criticism of the scheme felt that anti-social behaviour was an issue to consider further. "In line with this useful feedback the design was adjusted to raise the height of the front facing planting bed to reduce opportunity for fouling or damage to vegetation. "In addition, we have also made plans to add additional CCTV to this area as part of this scheme." On the project the council added: "The vision for the scheme begins with the Council purchasing the buildings that formerly constituted the site and making the decision to demolish part of them in 2022. "This work was completed with the assistance of Welsh Government funding under their Transforming Towns Programme. We were legally required to demolish 123-125 High Street because they had become structurally unsafe and were at risk of collapse. "Our strategy is to demolish the remaining buildings on the site and replace them with the pocket par. "There has been great care and much consideration given to dealing with the buildings remaining on the site since the emergency demolition of 123-125 High Street. "Notably, it was considered whether we could retrofit the remaining buildings and replace those demolished with new buildings. "Ultimately, the decision was made not to opt for this strategy for the following reasons: The proposal will now be considered by planners at Denbighshire council . Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone
