Whether it’s natural weathering or vandalism, the number of town centre properties that are deteriorating is rising. This is especially acute for empty premises. Empty premises are bad enough but empty, deteriorating premises are worse still. And, there are all too many empty shops these days that might start looking very sad, very soon.
The shop formerly known as Lucinda next to Boots the Chemist only recently closed. It’s in the most prominent of positions and now has a large, broken window on the Castle Street side that if left will tempt someone to kick it in completely. It’s been there for three weeks now.
Carpedi Rhuthun Carprets suffered an attack about the same time, when paint was thrown at a window. You’d expect that to be cleared up quickly and indeed, it was. But it drew attention not only to the exterior flaking paintwork, but particualrly to the condition of the former bric-a-brac premise next door. This has been closed for over a year and this former butcher’s will need considerable remedial work.
Opposite is another premises with a board, following a broken window last week, this time residential, at 21 Well Street.
Then there’s the former Slater’s garage site, a site that looks more depressing by the day. There’s a large crack in the glass on Well Street and part of the rear cabin glass has gone and is boarded up. That cabin is deteriorating fast and really needs clearing.
Rumours that Slater’s had actually been sold appear nothing more than hearsay. That’s probably understandable, given the looming recession. In hindsight, Slater’s chose the wrong time to close in Rhuthun. Admittedly, the decision was more Citroën’s than theirs, as the site failed to meet Citroën’s current expectations. But if Citroën was the stick, the property value at the time was definitely the carrot that hastened the sale. But it only has value if you can sell.
The irony is that Slater’s Abergele Citroën premises, where all the staff have gone, isn’t actually that special.
But the worst example by far is the Castle Hotel on St Peter’s Square. This is one of Rhuthun’s most prominent buildings. Not only does it add to the Square’s townscape, it’s the first building you see ahead of you as you climb Clwyd Street. The Wetherspoon plan was to convert the building and refurbish it inside and out. But Wetherspoon's is understood to have reconsidered its offer of help, following the downturn. This means that the Castle Hotel must be on the list as one of our most endangered buildings, seemingly without hope of any refurbishment for its flaking paintwork and crumbling masonry, till sold.
The shop formerly known as Lucinda next to Boots the Chemist only recently closed. It’s in the most prominent of positions and now has a large, broken window on the Castle Street side that if left will tempt someone to kick it in completely. It’s been there for three weeks now.Carpedi Rhuthun Carprets suffered an attack about the same time, when paint was thrown at a window. You’d expect that to be cleared up quickly and indeed, it was. But it drew attention not only to the exterior flaking paintwork, but particualrly to the condition of the former bric-a-brac premise next door. This has been closed for over a year and this former butcher’s will need considerable remedial work.
Opposite is another premises with a board, following a broken window last week, this time residential, at 21 Well Street.Then there’s the former Slater’s garage site, a site that looks more depressing by the day. There’s a large crack in the glass on Well Street and part of the rear cabin glass has gone and is boarded up. That cabin is deteriorating fast and really needs clearing.
Rumours that Slater’s had actually been sold appear nothing more than hearsay. That’s probably understandable, given the looming recession. In hindsight, Slater’s chose the wrong time to close in Rhuthun. Admittedly, the decision was more Citroën’s than theirs, as the site failed to meet Citroën’s current expectations. But if Citroën was the stick, the property value at the time was definitely the carrot that hastened the sale. But it only has value if you can sell.The irony is that Slater’s Abergele Citroën premises, where all the staff have gone, isn’t actually that special.
But the worst example by far is the Castle Hotel on St Peter’s Square. This is one of Rhuthun’s most prominent buildings. Not only does it add to the Square’s townscape, it’s the first building you see ahead of you as you climb Clwyd Street. The Wetherspoon plan was to convert the building and refurbish it inside and out. But Wetherspoon's is understood to have reconsidered its offer of help, following the downturn. This means that the Castle Hotel must be on the list as one of our most endangered buildings, seemingly without hope of any refurbishment for its flaking paintwork and crumbling masonry, till sold.