Ffrith Beach in Prestatyn has, at different times, been a source of both joy and concern for residents. I have a childhood recollection of the Ffrith prior to its redevelopment by the former Rhuddlan Borough Council in the mid-1990s. Prestatyn has seen major regeneration and success over the last 15 years or so but the Ffrith is one of the few remaining sites in the town where residents’ ambitions are yet to be fully met.
The Friends of the Ffrith (FoF), a local voluntary organisation set up with the support of Denbighshire County Council, do an excellent job monitoring and supporting the maintenance of the common land at the Ffrith (the area which is bounded by Ferguson Avenue and Victoria Road), as well as some of the leased areas. In fact, the common land features very positively in the Wales and Britain in Bloom contests and was awarded its 13th Green Flag in 2022.
Denbighshire County Council (DCC) retain overall responsibility for the common land and, exclusively, the children’s play areas. I engage regularly with individuals and officers from FoF and DCC given the proximity to the beach and the size of the area involved.
In recent years, I have regularly visited the leased area of the Ffrith and have observed the development of a successful touring park business, alongside ten pin bowling and other facilities. This is a commercial enterprise seeking to develop its own positive place in the town. I welcome their intention to install 35 locally-constructed “pods” on the site.
Since the start of 2021, I have been engaged in detailed discussions between the leaseholder at the Ffrith and DCC with a view to ensuring the improvement of the area to the east of the touring park and buildings. There are areas that have been an eyesore and a potential danger. I have raised concerns about the overgrown and uneven state of paths, the exposed foundations of former wartime huts adjacent to the Bowls Centre, untidy signage and the old and non-functional ‘headless’ lampposts.
I was pleased to see work take place to remove many of the old lampposts. I am grateful to both the leaseholder and officers from DCC who have assisted in carrying out this work.
A longer-term solution is under discussion which I hope will see the paths and other areas of concern maintained to the standards local people expect. I am also liaising with FoF to see their work recognised through a flagpole, which can proudly fly their Green Flag.
I will continue to engage with all stakeholders to see the Ffrith increasingly regain a reputation as a pleasant place for our local community and holiday makers to enjoy leisure time.
