Cowny Council to buy empty shops in Colwyn Bay

Oct 22 2009

KFC building, Colwyn Bay

DERELICT empty shops and an indoor market in the heart of Colwyn Bay are set to be snapped up by the council if they can secure a deal.

And leaked plans of the proposed take-over has caused one councillor to claim the former Market Hall on Princes Drive is set to be demolished to make way for offices to accommodate 600 council staff.

The Weekly News has learned Conwy County Council is negotiating the take- over of a block of shops including the former Market Hall, as well as a separate property on Douglas Road.

The secret plans were leaked on the council’s own website in which details were given of properties being targeted for purchase.

Town councillor, John Oddy believes if the council can secure the deal they will seek to demolish the derelict block and build its offices. Cllr Oddy claims he has seen "papers" of Conwy’s plans which include making Ivy Street car park a facility for council staff and extending Douglas Road car park for the public.

"I’ve had sight of some papers, I can’t say where. What the council is going to do is, in my opinion; Ivy Street Car Park is going to become a multi-storey car park for council staff only, which means they are going to extend car parking facilities in the town and then purchase a property on Douglas Road and extend that car park up to the reclaim centre for the public," he said.

"The Market Hall is going to be demolished and the council will build offices for 600 staff."

Cllr Oddy claims the council has chosen the site as it is within the Assembly’s strategic regeneration area and so it qualifies for grants.

The council has announced it will establish offices in the town centre as part of regeneration plans included in the Baylife Initiative and contained in the Assembly’s North Wales Coast Plan. It’s hoped 600 council staff working in the town centre will give a dramatic boost to the Bay, increasing shop footfall and creating a vibrant economy.

Last week cabinet members met behind closed doors to discuss plans to purchase strategic properties in Colwyn Bay following a cabinet meeting at Bodlondeb.

Discussed as an exempt item, the proposals for the Market Hall and Douglas Road were deemed too commercially sensitive and the public and press were excluded from the meeting. Details of the properties were included in yellow papers issued strictly only to cabinet members.

But Conwy published the name of the Market Hall and another unspecified property on Douglas Road on an agenda link on its website.

But despite the blunder, Cllr Goronwy Edwards, who is the cabinet member for communities and responsible for regeneration, wouldn’t confirm the building, if acquired, would be used as a council base.

"As part of the regeneration of Colwyn Bay, the council and the Assembly are likely to make a number a property purchases in areas which we believe are of strategic significance to the town," he said.

"At this stage it’s far too early to comment on any specific properties, but we will be looking at the town as a whole.

"The report to cabinet was to seek permission to proceed with this process.

"We’re determined the Bay Life Initiative will achieve its aim – to make Colwyn Bay a modern, vibrant centre for commerce, tourism, employment and leisure."