LLANDUDNO

LLANDUDNO, a photo by davidrobertsphotography on Flickr.

Once the word LLANDUDNO was picked out in colourful flowers visible to everyone that walks along the pier, now they are just filled with concrete - what a shame.

Some Light Relief

Well, its not often that I have occasion twice in one week to praise Conwy County Borough Council but....I was pleased to see that another of the original Victorian street lamps in Llandudno Town Centre is being brought back into use in Clonmel Street. Llandudno is one of the best preserved Victorian towns in the UK and, to maintain this ambience, its vital that street furniture such as lamp posts, railings etc reflect the town's heritage.

So, once again, its full marks to Conwy County Borough Council...keep up the good work!

(Photo Credit)

Grey Day

People of Colwyn Bay...be afraid, be very afraid. The 'Powers That Be' that have already covered both Seaview Road and Station Road in a vast expanse of featureless Chinese grey granite are now marshalling their forces and preparing for a strike against Penrhyn Road. The photo above shows hundreds upon hundreds of grey granite paving stones stored in the Lansdowne Road Car Park, poised to remove any hint of colour and life from Penrhyn Road.

Public opinion certainly seems to be very negative towards the finished appearance of both Sea View Road/Station Road, with a common comment being about the almost total lack of colour and planting to soften all the paving. Apparently, the handful of half dead trees just don't cut it when it comes to greenery...

In addition, the granite is already starting to appear tatty, with oil stains and chewing gum being apparently too difficult to remove. I'd also maybe add a comment about the dubious environmental merits of importing Chinese granite halfway around the world, when there are plenty of UK quarries that could have supplied the paving. I'd maybe go even further and ask why paving needed to be used anyway when there are many alternatives to tarmac now available, including something called resin bonded surfacing, which produces an attractive and durable gravel surface at significantly less cost?

I remember a letter in the North Wales Pioneer from a year or so ago, that said something along the lines that Conwy Council were determined to turn Colwyn Bay into something resembling Albania, where all work on public areas is carried out at the cheapest possible cost, with no regard to the aesthetics or long term value. I think they were spot on in that assessment! Numerous examples abound, but one of the most obvious is the ludicrous way in which the town's original cast iron street nameplates (in perfect condition apart from needing a cost of paint) are replaced by flimsy aluminium versions, which last barely 10 years before needing replacement. When will they learn?

Pole Position

The pole in the photo above (which holds several signs) has been lying on the grass verge at the side of one of the main footpaths on North Parade in Llandudno for several months, maybe since September last year, ever since it was uprooted by vandals. It's been there so long that someone from Conwy Council has actually come along and filled in the hole it used to be sited in on the other side of the footpath with earth! Is there no-one with the gumption to think to themselves..."Hmmm, I must arrange for someone to come and put that pole back up"? It's hardly like you can miss it when you're walking past. The mind boggles....

A Clean Sweep

Last painted in 1900? (Photo Credit)

The news that Conwy County has been awarded top marks with regard to the cleanliness of its streets is welcome indeed.

"CONWY county has cleaned up in a survey to find the most litter free streets in Wales. The area came out top with inspectors sent out by the Keep Wales Tidy campaign to check on litter and general cleanliness. It achieved an overall score of 72.5% up five points on last year and above the Wales average of 66.87%."

It's certainly fair to say that Conwy's streets and town centres are looking cleaner than ever, and credit should be given to both the Council employees and the Cabinet Member for the Environment, Mike Priestley, for their hard work.

But, of course, much remains to be done. Street cleaning is of a high standard but general maintenance of public areas is nowhere near as good. I've previously mentioned the proliferation of chewing gum on pavements throughout the County - again to his credit, Mike Priestley has promised to tackle the problem.

I've also previously mentioned other areas where improvements made (quite often at relatively little cost ) could significantly improve the appearance of an area. Things like fixing cracked paving stones, painting railings, varnishing benches, planting trees, repainting street nameplates...it's about attention to detail, which as any businessperson knows, makes the difference between a good business and a great business. If Conwy Council can grasp this, then we would really see some progress in raising standards.

Civic Pride

Wales' Leading Seaside Resort (Photo Credit)

One thing that seems to have disappeared from local towns to a great degree since the creation of the vast behemoth known as Conwy County Borough Council is Civic Pride. It's not a deliberate policy, of course, more a natural result of creating such a vast organisation that has to look after a significant part of North Wales (an area of 1,130 km² and 117,000 people).

What is Civic Pride and why is it important?

Civic Pride can be defined as 'taking a pride in your town' and ensuring it is looking its best. In an area that depends heavily upon Tourism, high standards of presentation in public areas are vital in order to both attract visitors and encourage them to visit again. I'm talking about things like public parks, flower displays, clean, tidy & well maintained streets, public toilets, car parking facilities etc.

Yet, all too often, these are the things that are not done properly locally. Take Llandudno, for instance. Wales' leading seaside resort. The principal town in Conwy County.

Yet, I can't walk down the main street without having to dodge a whole legion of cracked and broken paving stones. The street lighting at night is poor - old floodlights dating back to the 1970s, whilst the original Victorian street lamps stand unused. The flower displays seem to get reduced every year - whole sections of bedding plant displays on the Promenade have been grassed over last year, whilst the once famous LLANDUDNO display in Happy Valley has been filled in with concrete! Railings which were carefully installed back in 2000 as part of the renovation of North Western Gardens have not received a lick of paint since. Street trees are removed and not replaced. Public benches are allowed to get so rotten that a local Estate Agent has to write to the North Wales Weekly News in order to get something done about them. Street nameplates are rusting and unpainted. The only Public Toilets on the Promenade (Happy Valley Road) have been closed for several years...I could go on and on.

Let me say this very clearly....these are false economies to make. With its natural and architectural features, Llandudno has a head start over many seaside resorts. However, we squander this advantage at our peril. People these days are choosier than ever; they will not hesitate to go elsewhere if we do not live up to their standards. The annoying thing about it all is that most of the issues I have mentioned would not cost millions to resolve - they are all things that should just be done on an everyday basis as part of the maintenance of an attractive seaside town.