We have delivered two Townscape Heritage Initiatives, one in Denbigh and the other in Rhyl, both schemes have now come to an end.
In both towns, the Housing and Area Renewals team has been working closely with Townscape Heritage Initiative officers to ensure that the same conservation principles have been adopted in housing renewals schemes. This has resulted in impressive improvements in the general appearance, condition and quality of buildings in Denbigh and Rhyl, and the restoration of historic character in the core areas of both towns.
Denbigh
Since 2001, over £9 million has been spent in Denbigh on repairing and improving 64 buildings, one public garden, and three phases of railings and gates renewal in Vale Street and the Castle area. Over £6,687,000 has come from grants and the rest from private investment by building owners. In addition, two series of Traditional Building Skills Awareness Days have been held for building owners, contractors and agents. The Townscape Heritage Initiative has also assisted the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historic Monuments of Wales in the production of a Dendrochronology (tree ring) dating study of a number of buildings in the town, and a publication on Denbigh Heritage.
Rhyl
In Rhyl, 14 projects to a total value of £5,652,000 have been completed, with grants amounting to £4,581,500. Two long-term vacant buildings, 16-18 Edward Henry Street and the Bee and Station, have been brought back to life to provide small business units for local employers with grants from a number of sources including the Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Open doors
The Open Doors Denbighshire weekends provide free access to historic buildings, and have gone from strength to strength under the coordination of the Townscape Heritage Initiative Promotions Officer.
Partners
Throughout the initiative, we worked with the following partners;
• The Heritage Lottery Fund
• Welsh Government (Town Improvement Grants, Property and Environment Grants, Physical Regeneration Fund)
• Cadw: Welsh Historic Monuments
• EU (Rural and Local Development Funds)
• Denbigh Town Council
• Rhyl Town Council
• Rhyl Going Forward
• Cadwyn Clwyd.
You can see before and after pictures of the schemes in the slideshows below.
