Giant attraction still stands in UK seaside town 15 years after it closed – opened in 1989 | UK | News
An attraction in a town in the United Kingdom is still standing despite being closed more than 15 years ago.
The Sky Tower is a remarkable 76-metre (240 ft) landmark observation tower located on the West Parade promenade in Rhyl, North Wales. It featured a rotating glass gondola that took passengers to the top for panoramic views of the bay and the Snowdonia mountains. It opened in 1989.
The tower first became operational in 1988 Glasgow Garden Festival, known as the Clydesdale Bank Tower, where it was opened by Prince Charles and Princess Diana.
Following the festival, it was dismantled and reassembled on the Rhyl coast and purchased for £825,000. But the tower was last operational in 2010 and a safety report revealed £400,000 in repairs were required to keep it operational the following year. In 2017, work was carried out to transform the tower into a lighthouse.
Rhyl is a seaside town and community in Denbighshire, on the north coast of Wales, at the mouth of the River Clwyd. It has a very small population of 27,325 and was once known as an elegant Victorian resort town.
However, it experienced a rapid decline in the 1990s and 2000s. Attempts have been made to reverse this, with a £15 million county investment from Denbighshire County, but the results have been perceived with varying levels of success.
During the development, when it was announced that the tower would become a beacon for the seaside town, Denbighshire council leader Hugh Evans said: “The developments and improvements to the promenade will not only benefit Rhyl’s economy through increased foot traffic from visitors, but will also create something that residents of Rhyl, Denbighshire and the wider North Wales communities will enjoy.
“We are investing to create a better town, with better quality and more enjoyable offers for everyone who lives, visits or does business in Rhyl.”
Rhyl now sees high visitor numbers during the summer months.
