ASSETS to tourism in Llandudno

[DaveR]

I wonder if Beverley James of Deganwy would have been quite so positive if she's been aware that the council had to temporarily remove a pedestrian crossing island to ensure that it happened.  Perhaps the Daily Post could inform her of this heinous crime and she if she still has the same opinion.

I don't think the issue is the temporary removal of said 'furniture' from the street but more to do with why the race organisers didn't pay the entire cost instead of money coming out of the purse of a council who seem unwilling to pay for things the locals deem more important.

Very well put, SDQ. 

[SteveH]

Ref, 11/9/14

I think we need to debate the pros and cons of this type of event.
Does the cost equal the benefit.....
Is there a short term increase in business....
Is it a longer term investment.
The cost of preparing the town, for this type of event,....... the removal and replacement of the traffic island comes to mind, a figure of £10.000 was mentioned, I said at the time why did they replace it, if the event is to return, a bit of common sense will be needed for the future.
Overall I think we need this type of event, and we would be complaining if we did not get them.

When I asked above, about cost equaling benefit I expected debate on that issue,.... Now I am wary about getting into this, without knowing the costs, but lets say they were reasonable?  are you for or against such events, or would you expect events, but at no cost to us, the taxpayer, or do we say sorry no more events until we can afford them.
I know what you mean(SDQ) about "locals deem more important" but, can we let these "events" pass us by?  I don't think we should, as long as cost equals benefit.

[Nemesis]

I wonder if Beverley James of Deganwy would have been quite so positive if she's been aware that the council had to temporarily remove a pedestrian crossing island to ensure that it happened.  Perhaps the Daily Post could inform her of this heinous crime and she if she still has the same opinion.

I don't think the issue is the temporary removal of said 'furniture' from the street but more to do with why the race organisers didn't pay the entire cost instead of money coming out of the purse of a council who seem unwilling to pay for things the locals deem more important.

How many areas of dangerous pavement could have been rectified with the 10K that the removal and re-instatement cost ( True via a FOI request)?

[FatAndy]

I wonder if Beverley James of Deganwy would have been quite so positive if she's been aware that the council had to temporarily remove a pedestrian crossing island to ensure that it happened.  Perhaps the Daily Post could inform her of this heinous crime and she if she still has the same opinion.

I don't think the issue is the temporary removal of said 'furniture' from the street but more to do with why the race organisers didn't pay the entire cost instead of money coming out of the purse of a council who seem unwilling to pay for things the locals deem more important.

The problem is that different people deem different things to be important.  Personally I don't understand the point of Haulfre Gardens and given the choice I wouldn't want any of my council tax being used to maintain them so I'd rather see the council save £10,000 there and continue to attract major national and international sporting events to the area instead.  I'm sure the land at Haulfre Gardens would be worth a bob or to to a property developer so get it sold, bring in some cash and save on future maintenance costs.  And use some the income to fix the pavements so everybody's happy.

[andyCYD]

I am totally in favour of Llandudno attracting big events like the Tour of Britain and find it hard to see a negative side.  I do recognise others have a different view.

The challenge is to deal with the smaller, immediate stuff whilst also seeing the bigger picture.  I personally have no direct link to tourism in Llandudno.  If every hotel closed and the pier fell into the sea it would have not direct impact on me. But I do see that Llandudno is like it is because it is a tourist destination. I have chosen to live here, and so I have to support the ideas that boost tourism.  We could invest a lot of money into repairing every pavement across the town, but that will not have the same impact as hosting the Tour of Britain.  The problem is that we will only get to host things like the Tour of Britain if we "pull out all the stops."

My view is that Llandudno is a unique place, and this is what we should be promoting. Blindly following what other do does not make sense to me. For example, nowhere else has a Great Orme and two beaches within half a mile.  The Tour of Britain probably did more to emphasise these facts to a wide population than anything else I have seen in recent years.

[DaveR]

I don't think there was a negative side to the TOB race, it was a great event that certainly put Llandudno in the national spotlight. Events like that should be welcomed to Llandudno.

I think concerns centered more on the fact that CCBC could conjure up this £10,000 to remove/replace a traffic island, whilst bleating the rest of the time that they don't have any money to spend when anyone approached them with ideas etc to enhance the town.

[Nemesis]

I don't think there was a negative side to the TOB race, it was a great event that certainly put Llandudno in the national spotlight. Events like that should be welcomed to Llandudno.

I think concerns centered more on the fact that CCBC could conjure up this £10,000 to remove/replace a traffic island, whilst bleating the rest of the time that they don't have any money to spend when anyone approached them with ideas etc to enhance the town.

[Dave]

For example, nowhere else has a Great Orme and two beaches within half a mile.  The Tour of Britain probably did more to emphasise these facts to a wide population than anything else I have seen in recent years.

The BBC's Coast series did a good job too.

[Dave]

I don't think there was a negative side to the TOB race, it was a great event that certainly put Llandudno in the national spotlight. Events like that should be welcomed to Llandudno.

I think concerns centered more on the fact that CCBC could conjure up this £10,000 to remove/replace a traffic island, whilst bleating the rest of the time that they don't have any money to spend when anyone approached them with ideas etc to enhance the town.

Maybe the question should we ask is Did Llandudno get £10k's worth of advertising from the subsequent TV and press coverage and in addition, who's budget financed the removal and replacement of a pedestrian crossing.
The question could also be asked as to why it was necessary to replace the island too, after all, the other crossings on the prom don't have one.

[born2run]

10k seems very cheap to me - not for the act of removal - I mean for the event as a whole.

Look at it another way, it was only last year the troglodytes of the North Western Alliance (or something like that - was a right wing fascist organisation either way) Wanted to do a demo and a march in Llandudno.

That would have cost a lot more to police and in lost revenues and would have been so negative for the town.

Thankfully it didn't happen  and thankfully the bike thing did  and thankfully the snooker thing is happening to 

I'm in an unusually positive mood for a Monday!

[SteveH]

COMING SOON......

WALES RALLY GB.....13/16 NOV.

http://www.walesrallygb.com/spectators/route_information.php

http://www.wrc.com/en/wrc/calendar/wales-2014/page/704--704-682-.html

http://www.visitwales.com/things-to-do/whats-on/events/wales-rally-gb

[SteveH]

Official 'Host County' status for prestigious FIA World Rally Championship event

Significant changes have been made for 2014, however, largely to cater for escalating numbers of fans wanting to see the world's top rally drivers in spectacular action. With this in mind, having now outgrown the quayside in Conwy, Thursday evening's Ceremonial Start has switched to Eirias Stadium, one of the cornerstones of the £52m Bay Life regeneration of Colwyn Bay. Eirias is a major Events Centre in north Wales with a capacity for up to 15,000 spectators. Having hosted major sporting events and music concerts in recent months, the arrival of the globetrotting WRC will further demonstrate the venue's versatility.

The celebrated rally's schedule also now includes four exciting new challenges in the county's Alwen and Brenig Forests. These are staged on Sunday prior to the Ceremonial Finish, which, as last year, will be in Llandudno. The return to Mostyn Street for the closing ceremony will build on the tremendous atmosphere generated 12 months ago when 15,000 spectators flooded into the historic resort.

[DVT]

... and before that, on 18th October, we have North Wales Car Club's Cambrian Rally, supported by Conwy County Borough Council, Llandudno Town Council, North Wales Honda, Peter Lucas Tools and View Creative - final round of the BTRDA (British Trial & Rally Drivers Association), WAMC (Welsh Association of Motor Clubs) and ANWCC (Association of North Western Car Clubs) championships.

... competitors from most corners of the United Kingdom, and hopefully some from beyond, with service crews and families staying in Llandudno for a night or two.  Start (first car 0800 hours) and Finish first car approx 1500 hours) as usual on the Promenade with Rally HQ at the St George Hotel.

... more info on www.cambrianrally.co.uk with entry list updated daily as entries are received.  Organised locally by your local club, for national competitors - forest stages in the Betws-y-Coed and Penmachno area.

[SteveH]

Ref. DaveR..
Promotional video just launched for the LLAWN02 Arts Weekend - September 19th - 21st 2014:
Llawn 02 Promo on Vimeo             see "What's On"......

http://www.llawn.org./

[SteveH]

We have two new assets to Llandudno, the new Travelodge and the Premier Inn hotels, opening soon, both multi million pound redevelopment projects, which have saved two major buildings of interest, and have been kept in "character" with the town.
The number of hotels, who have also refurbished and upgraded to award winning status is on the increase.