by furie » 07 Nov 2006, 14:18
Rhyl is a place to look closely at, as it's Margate's future if they're not careful.
Tehy've spent too long ignoring tourism, and encouraging "year round trade". That trade mostly being the unemployed and unemployable (down by the fair, mostly skag heads and doss houses).
I've holidayed in Rhyl year after year in my youth, then again in periods through my adulthood. The changes are very sad. A few years ago though, things started looknig up when a redevelopment of the promenade was started. It was looking good, until the cash ran out, and it never quite got finished (there's a half finished monorail running down the front, and it's a little Simpsonesque).
All the while, less and less investment was pumped into making the fair end of the town more presentable. In latter years, you'd fear for your wallet and life down that end of town. It all adds up to making the park less and less popular, and less and less viable.
In the end, that whole end of town is now in need of raising to the ground and rebuilding from scratch. However, the hotels and B&B's need to make their money from the poor souls that live there, and it's just not going to happen. A new supermarket in a rough end of town will soon end up as unused and derelict as Ocean Beach.
Maybe there's something in the local council plans that will avoid this situation, there's certainly hope as they recognise the problems. Margate hasn't gone this far down that path yet, but from what I've read from people posting on here, it's not too many years away...
