Yahoo News Cinema to close in latest blow to once bustling Welsh seaside resort
A seaside resort that once boomed has been dealt its latest blow. Rhyl was already losing its reasons to visit after a series of closures and failures.
The SeaQuarium shut in 2023 and the SC2 waterpark has been closed for months due to storm damage although will return next year. Meanwhile the planned Skyflyer failed to launch and the redeveloped Queens Market remains empty despite millions of pounds spent on the project.
Now the cinema chain Vue will leave the multi-screen complex on the seafront. They said they will cease to operate beyond January 2025 after not taking up the option to extend the lease.
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This will then revert to the ownership of Denbighshire council. They said they were working with other parties to develop future plans for the site.
Its sparked a backlash locally about who's to blame for the latest blow to hit the town. Some said it was a case of "use it or lose it" and that not enough locals had been visiting. Other blamed the rise of streaming services like Netflix and also the fact people had to pay to park at the car park next to the cinema.
Denbighshire council came under fire over the closure and the loss of other attractions and stores in the town centre while spending millions with Welsh Government on projects like Queens Market.
A spokesperson for Denbighshire County Council said, “We can confirm that once the lease on the Vue cinema building has expired at a point in 2025, it will return to the Council’s ownership as the landlord. We are working closely with Vue to arrange the handover at a date which is yet to be confirmed. We are also working with other parties to develop plans for the future use of the site, but it is too early at this stage to make any further comments.”
