Vale of Clwyd MP Dr James Davies is thrilled that two towns in the county have been listed in the ‘top five best shopping destinations in Wales’, with Prestatyn taking the top spot.
This year, Prestatyn took the number one spot in Wales through rankings that use metrics to evaluate the offerings of towns and cities across the UK, including factors such as retail quality, shopper demographics, footfall, and vacancy rates.
The other locations in the top five for Wales were Ruthin, which came in fourth, Cardiff, Monmouth and Blackwood.
Despite many places struggling in recent years, these vitality rankings confirm that Prestatyn has thrived, with its successful retail park complementing a diverse mix of retail and hospitality sites on the high street.
While Prestatyn was the highest-ranked in Wales, it came 134th in the overall UK vitality league table, compiled annually by Newmark's Consultancy and Analytics team. This is an improvement from its ranking of 143 in 2022.
Welcoming the news, James said:
“It is a very positive sign that both Prestatyn and Ruthin town centres, with their variety of good quality independent shops, have performed so well in these retail vitality rankings.
“In the case of Prestatyn, it is a marked turnaround from the 1990s and early 2000s, when out-of-town developments elsewhere hit it hard. Prestatyn’s success now demonstrates the value of investment and the provision of the services and retail opportunities that people want in the heart of the community – from the shopping park to the Scala Cinema and Banking Hub. It also shows the importance of aiming for the good presentation and maintenance of public areas – something that the Prestatyn in Bloom group strives for.
“Like everywhere, Prestatyn town centre faces challenges, with Welsh Government Business Rates increases and the national economic context, but it is shortly set to benefit from £4.25m in Levelling Up Funding and a brand new police station.
“It is my belief that one of the principal reasons for Prestatyn’s success is its relative ease of access by car and its plentiful free parking. This is something local councils must recognise. The vitality of our town centres is harmed when parking charges are raised, draconian anti-car schemes are adopted and public toilets are closed.
“We have witnessed this in Rhyl, where the lack of easy access by car and the lack of free parking have long been impacting businesses in the town centre.
“Whilst Prestatyn has flourished since the establishment of the retail park, Rhyl town centre has sadly experienced a huge drop in footfall, resulting in a number of businesses closing in recent years.
“However, as Prestatyn has proved, it is possible to turn around the fortunes of a town. Rhyl has huge potential and now that Levelling Up funding has been assigned to the town, that potential can be better realised.
“The planned revitalisation of the town centre, including a much-improved gateway to the High Street and further improvements to the promenade, will make the town a more appealing place for people to visit, which I am hopeful will result in more businesses choosing to invest in the town.
“As was the case in Prestatyn, success takes time, but I am confident that thanks to the nearly £13 million of Levelling Up funding allocated to regenerating Rhyl last year, and the additional £20m the Chancellor announced in March that the town will be receiving over 10 years through the UK Government’s ‘Long Term Plan for Towns’, we will see Rhyl move up similar vitality rankings in the future.”
James added:
"We are fortunate to have many quality businesses in our town centres across the Vale of Clwyd, and, in order to ensure their continued success, it is vital that we all support them. Whilst it may be easier at times to purchase from larger retailers online, if we want our shopping centres to thrive, we need to use them!"
