Llangollen residents have expressed concerns over Denbighshire Council's £1.2m plans to enhance the "visitor experience" in the town. The council has outlined development plans for Llangollen's Four Great Highways which could include building a "viewing platform" overlooking the river and improving pedestrian access in the popular tourist hotspot.

According to Denbighshire Council planning documents, the new plans aim to "enhance visitor experience, increasing dwell time and spreading the benefits of the WHS (World Heritage Site)." The new plans come following the controversial redevelopment of Castle Street in 2020, which saw the widening of the town's pavements and improved pedestrian access.

The ambitious £1.28m plans have been met with concern from some residents who have labelled the plans "visitor experience centric", following claims that the previous works caused flooding in the town centre. Others have claimed there has been a "lack of consultation" from the council, including town councillor Scott Felton who claims Llangollen residents are "constantly kept in the dark".

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In an open letter posted to Facebook, addressed to Kim Waller and David Sheil at Denbighshire County Council, Cllr Felton said: "I gained my support from an increasingly frustrated public in Llangollen, constantly kept in the dark with little or no information about projects conceived then advanced among tight knit groups of like-minded, mostly unelected people.

"If it wasn't for me as an individual disseminating information I glean, the townsfolk here would know virtually nothing." It is understood the plans are still in the consultation phase, with a series of public meetings to be held online.

One local man took to social media to express his concerns about the consultation process, writing: "I totally stand with Councillor Felton and his search for answers, none of which are forthcoming at the moment. The idea of a viewing platform was first mentioned several months ago to me by a resident of Llangollen, several months before Christmas, and I've yet to come across anyone that would support this idea.

Roadworks on Castle Street in Llangollen, Denbighshire
Roadworks on Castle Street in Llangollen, Denbighshire

"Perhaps that was DCC's idea of public consultation by intentional or unintentionally releasing Chinese whispers?! Who knows?

"How they had heard about it, I'm not sure. However I did note that the idea of a viewing platform had been shelved even before the public had been consulted which is suspicious on its own which further backs up Councillor Felton's argument that DCC are deciding what the residents of Llangollen are having....or not having in this case before the tax paying residents have even been asked!"

Cllr Felton told North Wales Live: "My concern is there's a lack of consultation, residents don't know what's going on. The council are relying on word of mouth or online, but some people aren't online."

He continued: "The council is relying on word of mouth and they just don't tell anyone, and this is reminiscent of what went on with the Castle street saga, it's unacceptable. With Castle Street, the residents wanted the potholes filled in and more parking but one of the outcomes of that project was that we ended up with fewer parking spaces.

Picture of water gathering on Bridge Street in Llangollen last week
Picture of water gathering on Bridge Street in Llangollen last week

"After the work on Castle Street we had all sorts of problems with flooding in the road, blocked drains, caravans disengaging and crashing because of the new roads." Denbighshire councillor Jason McLellan, Leader of the Council and Lead Member for Economic Growth & Tackling Deprivation said: “It is very exciting to have secured some external funding to be able to continue to improve our towns.

"While the improvements being developed will enhance the visitor experience and bring greater economic benefit to the area, they are also intended to enhance their amenity value for local communities. Llangollen and the surrounding communities and attractions, are in a beautiful location within the AONB but the area can become very busy during the visitor season.

"The Council recognises that it will be important to understand the needs of local residents and businesses as well as visitors as these projects are developed and delivered”. Denbighshire Council has also previously addressed claims that the new Castle Street drainage system caused flooding.

Earlier this month a spokesperson said: "All drains in the area were cleared prior to the completion of the Llangollen 2020 work in the area to improve pedestrian access. Subsequent busy periods in the town have resulted in a build-up of debris in the drains and a drainage team has visited the area and resolved the issue. This maintenance will continue on a periodic basis.”

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