A beloved UK seaside town has made a desperate plea for more investment, saying it has been "forgotten". The small coastal town is located in Wales and attracts thousands of weekly visitors. However, campaigners are calling for more pubic investment, saying that they are just asking for their "fair share". Towyn lies on the coast between Abergele and Rhyl and has long been a go-to destination for classic British seaside fun.
The town has beds for 60,000 visitors, as well as a lively amusement park by the sea, fish and chip shops, a large beach and scenic parks. Operators have said it receives little public investment compared with resorts like Rhyl to the east and Colwyn Bay and Llandudno to the west. They believe that public investment should support the private-sector funding injected into the town. Luke Knightly runs Knightly's Fun Park in Towyn and is leading the campaign for more public investment.
He told North Wales Live: "We are the forgotten resort, even though we have bed spaces for 60,000 people, and I understand it is 10,000 in Llandudno.
"We have seen so much investment in places like Colwyn Bay and Rhyl, all we are asking for is our fair share. Rhyl has had millions of pounds spent on it, and I don't know where it goes. Rhos-on-Sea has had this beautiful new beach, and I'm pleased for them, but now it is our turn."
"At the seafront, we have an ugly sea wall, yes it serves its purpose but it is ugly, we want investment in the seafront," he added.
"There is no disabled access over the rail line between the beach and the town, as the bridge is step-only, which is not fair in this day and age. Once across the bridge, there is no accessible route over the sea wall onto the beach, only steep steps."
A petition has been launched calling on Conwy council and Network Rail, which manages the bridge crossing, to invest in the town.
"Towyn welcomes tens of thousands of overnight visitors every season," the petition states. "These visitors stay for days or weeks, spending money in restaurants, shops, attractions and businesses across the whole region.
"Overnight visitors support the wider economy throughout Conwy County and North Wales - creating jobs and sustaining local businesses. Yet despite the huge number of visitors Towyn welcomes and hosts each year, the town lacks many of the basic facilities that residents and tourists would reasonably expect."
The petition calls on Conwy County Borough Council and Network Rail to "work together to deliver practical improvements". These improvements include:
- An accessible crossing across the railway on Sandbank Road.
- Improved access for all onto Towyn beach.
- Seating areas along the sea wall between Towyn and Pensarn.
- Adequate bins and public facilities that reflect the scale of tourism in the area.
- A longer-term plan to improve the appearance, safety and accessibility of the seafront environment.
Knightly added: "There is so much private sector investment going in here, from ourselves and also other holiday parks and tourism operators. We just want some public sector support to improve the infrastructure. It is the basic things, toilets, better access to the beach, improved roads, extra bins and seating on the seafront.
"We feel forgotten about, we are being left behind and it is not fair now. Investment will be good for us and the wider area as people stay here and visit places all over North Wales."
Meanwhile, the petition states that Towyn contributes significantly to the tourism economy of North Wales, and that it's "reasonable" that it receives investments to improve infrastructure.
Conwy council said: "All petitions we receive are taken seriously by Council Officers and Members as a measure of local interest in any given matter.
"We recognise and acknowledge Towyn's significance to the county's visitor economy, and have supported the town wherever possible through grant schemes where eligibility has allowed.
"We work closely with Towyn and Kinmel Bay Town Council on initiatives funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, and we continue to support local businesses with advice, funding opportunities, and signposting to relevant assistance."
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