THE building which previously housed the SeaQuarium attraction on Rhyl’s promenade will be demolished, following its closure last November.

Denbighshire County Council said it offered the building to other operators, but none expressed an interest in taking it on.

SeaQuarium attributed its decision to close last year to the council’s ongoing coastal works by the site.

Its owners had previously said they believed the coastal works would have a harmful impact on hearing, and induce a chronic stress response from seals with behavioural and physical welfare issues.

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As part of its work to improve links between Rhyl’s town centre and beachfront, the council will be demolishing the building to improve the public realm and declutter the promenade.

A council spokesperson said: “One of the main aims of the Rhyl Town Centre Vision is to improve the visibility of the seafront and to better link the town centre with the beach.

“The 30-year-old building has stood empty since the closure of SeaQuarium at the end of November 2023, and is no longer fit for purpose as a modern tourist attraction.

“The building is in a prime location on Rhyl’s seafront, with links to the town centre and the beach, but needs significant investment to make it fit for purpose.

“Having fully considered all options, the decision has been made that the site can be put to better use.

“The council is in discussions about how this prime location will be used in future once the building is demolished.”

The council currently has a 85 per cent Welsh Government grant for its coastal sea defence work in Rhyl.

Welsh Government has agreed that the cost of demolition can be put against this grant, in order to make the location safe and usable for a future attraction.

Cllr Barry Mellor, the council’s lead member for environment and transport, said: “As the local councillor for the Rhyl East ward, I believe this is a really positive step forward to improve the seafront in Rhyl.

“This is an opportunity to see this prominent site in the heart of Rhyl’s tourist zone re-imagined. It’s a fantastic location next to Rhyl Events Arena, and links up the town centre with the beach.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the developments on Rhyl promenade so we can make the most of one of the best beaches in North Wales.”

It is envisaged that the process of demolishing the old building will take between two and three months, with work likely to start in the autumn.

Balfour Beatty, the contractor currently working on Rhyl’s coastal sea defence scheme, will undertake this work as part of the current programme of work it is completing.

A Freedom of Information request made by the Journal in February reveald that the council contributed £90,000 towards finding new homes for SeaQuarium’s six seals.