Towyn and Kinmel Bay Place Plan
Client: Towyn and Kinmel Bay Town Council
Partners: Roberts Limbrick, Owen Davies Consulting, Highgate Transportation
Place: Towyn and Kinmel Bay, Conwy
The community need
The population of Towyn and Kinmel Bay increases by some 500% during the peak tourist season due to the town's extensive caravan parks and its proximity to Rhyl on the North Wales coast. This rapid and temporary change creates significant pressure on the town. The town is also fragmented physically and lacked community cohesion.
The town council wanted to develop a place plan centred on making the area a better place for future generations to live, work and visit. They also recognised that the community lacked a wider partnership approach.
In December 2021, Towyn and Kinmel Bay Town Council secured funding from the UK Government's Community Renewal Fund for their Community Connections project. The project focused on developing a place plan and aimed to:
Encourage greater community engagement in local planning and well-being
Influence the delivery plans of public sector bodies
Deliver tangible improvements as the start of a continuous process.
In March 2022, the Towyn and Kinmel Bay Voice community partnership was formed. It acts as a conduit for local conversations, prioritising action and making things happen.
What I did
I helped write the place plan. The priority themes we included respond to Towyn and Kinmel Bay's key challenges and the opportunities I identified from my research that were endorsed by the local community and stakeholder consultations I ran.
The outcome
The final place plan presents a 15-year vision that "Towyn and Kinmel Bay is a cohesive place that can be explored from the sea to its streets to its green space with a string of communities that are active, enterprising and healthy".
It sets out a direction for the area and lays the foundations for future prosperity and well-being. Supporting the plan's vision are the five themes that Towyn and Kinmel Bay will be:
Resourced
Greener
Active
Enterprising, and
A Destination for all.
The place plan also provides a stronger foundation for Towyn and Kinmel Bay, shining a spotlight on its needs, assets and people. The plan's vision and strategic outcomes for the town will be realised through local actions that centre on people and well-being.
