UK town dubbed 'Costa Del Dole' suffers new blow as high street staple shuts

12 February 2024 , 16:42

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Rhyl has suffered a new setback after Barclays announced its branch would soon close (Image: (Image: Getty))

A UK seaside town cruelly branded "Costa Del Dole" has suffered another setback after a major high street bank announced it would be closing down.

Barclays is set to shut its branch in the Welsh seaside town of Rhyl due to what it describes as changes in customer behaviour.

This comes as another blow for the struggling coastal resort, which was recently named one of the country's worst seaside towns.

Despite attracting many tourists each year, the town was labelled a "dump" in a major national newspaper, as visitors complained of the area being "shoddy" and "rundown".

Local MP Dr James Davies expressed his concern over the Barclays closure and said it is worrying that Rhyl is now set to lose one of its major banks. He said the bank had told him they would shut the branch on August 9, reports North Wales Live. The bank said it had seen "a sustained fall in customer transactions across our network".

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Dr Davies said: "In recent years we have seen bank closure after bank closure in the Vale of Clwyd. Throughout this time, it has been reassuring to residents in Rhyl that there seemed to be no threat to the banks in the town, as a regional centre. It is therefore extremely concerning that Rhyl is now set to lose the first of its major banks."

Rhyl East Cllr Justine Evans, a long-time customer of the bank, meanwhile told North Wales Live: "I was saddened to hear about the closure of Barclays in Rhyl which has been a prominent feature in the town for a great many years. All the staff at the branch have always been extremely helpful and my thoughts are with them at this time. Rhyl has lost many shops and cafes over the years and sadly there are already too many empty buildings in the town centre. The closure of Barclays in August will be another blow to the High Street. I really hope that other banks in the town don't follow suit."

One Tripadvisor user took to the travel review site to talk about their experiences in Rhyl. They said: "Got moved here in June and what a big mistake it was. Rhyl is such a dump it's depressing. Would not advise visiting at all."

Despite its negative reviews the town also has seen some promising developments of late, with nearly £25m being spent on the town centre for improvements as part of the Welsh Government's Transforming Towns initiative. More than £65million in investment has also been attracted for projects like the SC2 Waterpark, Pont y Ddraig bridge and harbour improvements. The Pavilion Theatre has been renovated and the 1891 Restaurant has been opened. Rhyl also now has a Premier Inn and Travelodge.

Benedict Tetzlaff-Deas