The redevelopment of Rhyl’s waterfront will take another leap forward if plans to renovate more vacant buildings are approved.

Denbighshire County Council’s (DCC) cabinet has agreed to buy the former Savoy Hotel on West Parade and the authority has an option to buy the nearby Queen's Market, theatre and hotel within the next three years – subject to external funding.

A revamped Savoy Hotel would add to the significant investment being poured into Rhyl’s waterfront, including £15 million for the SC2 water park and £25m on the Marina Quay retail park.

Cllr Joan Butterfield, county councillor for Rhyl West ward, welcomed the news.

She said: “It’s another step forward for the regeneration of Rhyl and will marry up with the waterfront as well as the works on Sussex Street and Water Street.

“It’s all about bringing in footfall and will hopefully circulate people who are visiting destinations like the Marina Quay and SC2 throughout the town.”

Plans for the vacant former Savoy Hotel and amusement arcade will see the authority work with a development partner to find a new use for the site, which housed the Bistro nightclub before it closed in 1999.

Within the Queen’s Market complex lies much of the turn-of-the-20th-century 'Little Venice'.

This attempted to recreate the Venetian experience by means of gondolas, which Italian boatmen steered beneath arches decorated as a starry sky. This was later transformed into a Turkish-themed attraction named 'Constantinople'.

Following a devastating fire that destroyed the former Queen’s Palace ballroom and theatre in 1907, the attraction was sealed under the floor of the current Queen’s Market structure.

Stuart Jones, who founded of a 'Save Rhyl Queen’s' campaign in 2007, said: “I have a 1902 flyer which shows off the first-class luxury the 'Queen's Palace' had to offer at that era.

"It was a palace for the people of Rhyl and can be again.

“I would like to see the Queen's Palace restored as to how it was in 1902.

"The maple sprung dance floor with over 2,000 springs still exist in the market today.

“If the Queen's does get revamped and restored as to how it was in 1902, the market traders would still have their stalls and maybe we can incorporate a little museum to show off Venice with flyers, pictures, postcards and plans.”

Cllr Butterfield, however, suggested the redevelopment would instead be focused on housing.

She said:“Shopping is down and leisure is up.

"Ideally, we’d want to see a mixed-use development, but I strongly believe it will be steered forward by housing.

“If the building’s heritage is worth saving, they will probably keep its Victorian facade, should architects deem it to have enough structural integrity – but we have to be realistic and not sacrifice progress, if not.”

Approval hinges on securing funding through the Building for the Future grant from the Welsh Assembly Government and Welsh European Funding Office.

Residents can add their views on the future of the buildings through DCC’s ongoing public consultation, the Rhyl masterplan, for development of the town centre.

Cllr Butterfield added: “The important thing is we’re in the driving seat now, and I would urge people to to tell us what they want to see with the Savoy hotel and other buildings.”