Beach Boost For Town Traders

On Wednesday The National Play Day came to town – and traders we have spoken to have reported a boost in footfall as a result!

Market traders told us the town was noticeably busier and saw an increase in people visiting their stalls, which they connected to the activities on Queens Square and Llywn Isaf as we reported yesterday here.

One rumour doing the rounds in town is that trade was so good for McDonalds they sold out of burgers on the day due to the increase in business.

Although trade appears to have increased for those based around the activities and for those offering products and services that fit a ‘family’ demographic, some did flag up possible improvements for next year. One told us: “It would be great to have more throughout the town to bring people to different areas, for example perhaps on High Street”.

Two mentioned to us that they would have liked to have seen the events extended, which was the plan before the infamous ‘town centre beach’ idea was scrapped after a backlash described at the time as a ‘hot potato’. The Council said back in June, “We have had a lot of negative feedback, not from businesses, and we have to be careful what we deliver as this is public money.”

If the praise for the day is echoed in the forthcoming Town Centre Forum there could be a bizarre scenario where traders once again will request ‘something to be done’, the Council will then come up with plans, and then external negativity putting pay to the ideas. Hopefully this cycle can be broken!

Interestingly Buckley has also had a beach created recently, which has received wide spread commendation on and offline. Wrexham.com has placed enquiries to discover if there is a different type of sand or water in Buckley which makes such things more palatable there than here in Wrexham.