A few years ago Rhyl West residents saw large numbers of problematic people being dumped into the ward by resettlement agencies.
The uninvited guests included habitual criminals, addicts
of alcohol and illegal drugs, antisocial types, dysfunctional families
and so on.
The cost of Social Services went sky high and so did the
crime rate.
Some old holiday accommodation in Abbey
Street/ Aquarium Street area has been demolished and tenants dispersed – some
as far as Denbigh. This should reduce the density of problems in Rhyl West.
Lately the ward seems a more relaxed place, not so
low-life, and not so dangerous, but some fundamental difficulties remain. There is
still a lot of poverty and deprivation.
One man who knows about the difficulties is Mark Webster who
lives in Rhyl West and served as a ward councillor until his wife Coral became ill. (She has since passed away.)
Mark is concerned about disabled people having to switch to
new benefits and have their conditions re-assessed by private companies that
have no medical expertise.
He is unhappy about the prospect of our losing access
to the European Regional Development Fund. Money is needed to help new
businesses get started.
On the other hand, he feels optimistic about the forthcoming
Marina Quay (ex-Ocean Beach) and other local indicators of better times ahead.
Mark Webster (pictured below) is casting around for a role
to play. It would be no surprise to see him back in public life in due course.
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Daily Post has published a list of food places top-rated for hygiene. There are lots of top-rated places in Denbighshire, many in Rhyl:
