DEMOLITION work on the town’s Queen’s Buildings in Rhyl is due to start this month.

Denbighshire County Council have appointed a contractor; Wye Valley Demolition will start on site from January 25 to demolish unsafe areas of the buildings and remove any remaining asbestos.

The contractor has worked with the council on previous sites including the demolition of buildings on Queen Street

After the local authority took ownership of the Queen’s Buildings, a number of assessments made it clear a significant amount of the site would need to be demolished, due to structural damage from a combination of poor maintenance and weather damage over the years.

The Queen’s Chamber will remain within the buildings and will be refurbished.

Cllr Hugh Evans, leader of Denbighshire County Council and Lead Member for the Economy said: “The start of demolition work will mark another major step in the regeneration of the site.

“The council wanted to retain as much of the buildings as possible, especially the walls of the Queen’s Market and the ornate ceiling, but as we have been working on the buildings since taking ownership, it has become clear they are beyond repair.”

The local authority is working with private sector development partners, including Ion Development, to transform Rhyl's Queen’s Market into a mix of retail, food and beverage, contemporary market, office and residential space.

Rhyl Journal:

At the centrepiece of the development, the Queen’s Market will be reinvented for the 21st century with a food and markethall. Picture: Queen’s market design and access statement

Accessibility from the waterfront and promenade into the town centre will also be improved.

Cllr Evans added: “The regeneration of Rhyl is a long-term project which will help benefit the economy throughout Denbighshire and the Queen’s Buildings form a vital part of that plan.”

The site contains multiple large buildings within a populated area, so during the demolition period to ensure the safety of the public, the council will be closing footpaths along West Parade and Queen Street from the end of January.

In September, Denbighshire County Council said it would be investing a further £1.5million into the development.

Plans, which include the former Savoy Hotel and Queen’s Market buildings, are part of the council’s Rhyl Vision document which will create a "modern, distinctive seaside town that meets the needs of its community."

Ken Skates, Economy and North Wales Minister, said: “I’m pleased Welsh Government funding is enabling the next stage of the redevelopment of the Queen’s Buildings to be carried out. This is a great example of the public sector working collaboratively with its partners for the benefit of the area and will help create important employment and training opportunities. The project has huge potential to deliver a vital economic boost to the town.”

Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Hannah, said: “The regeneration of the iconic Queen’s building is an important step in reinvigorating Rhyl town centre.

“This is where I announced the Transforming Towns programme in January 2020 and I remain committed to transforming buildings like the Queen’s building into community assets which will increase vibrancy and footfall in Welsh towns. It is good to see work progressing.”

There will be a temporary closure of one lane along Queen Street and the temporarily closure of Queen Street car park.

The suspension of on-street parking located next to Queens Building’s, both across West Parade and Queen Street is also necessary to ensure the area around the site is secure for the buildings to be taken down safely.

Work is anticipated to last up to six months, after which the development of the wider site is then expected to start, subject to planning approval.

The planning application for the next phase is expected to be submitted shortly.