Dear all - I have just emailed off the following response to the pre-planning consultation, including notification to them that we have amassed a petition of over 1000 signatures. Sharing the text below for transparency. I'll let you know if I get a response!

Please consider joining our Facebook group for more information:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/353013202978021/
 
Gareth
 
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Dear Sir/Madam,

I write to you to notify you of my objection to the demolition of the historic Prestatyn TA Centre as part of the above scheme by Wales and West Housing.

Furthermore, I must advise that the proposal to demolish this building, which is regarded by many as a local icon, has generated vehement opposition from many members of the local community. A petition on Change.org ( ) has collected over 1000 signatures objecting to the demolition. In a town which can elect an MP on total votes of 2000-3000 people, this represents a substantial outcry from our community.
The petition campaign has garnered support from all corners of our community, including prominent figures such as the Mayor of Prestatyn, Cllr Carol Holliday, the Deputy Mayor of Prestatyn, Cllr Anton Sampson, our former MP Dr James Davies, Gareth Davies MS for Vale of Clwyd, and well-regarded local historian, Harry Thomas. This widespread opposition reflects the local significance of this building to our community.

Historical Significance and Community Value

The former Territorial Army Building is more than just a structure—it is a piece of Prestatyn's history. For a century, its distinctive corner tower has been a well-recognized landmark and a key feature of our town's historic fabric and character. Originally the "White Rose" garage built by the Brookes Brothers, the building is a prominent gateway to our town.

We are a close-knit community that has already seen too many of our important buildings demolished in the name of progress, particularly in neighbouring Rhyl. The demolition of the TA Centre, following the loss of the nearby Bodnant Infants School on Marine Road, would mean losing another vital link to our past.

The community's affection for this building is clear in comments and memories shared online:

• “It’s an icon in Prestatyn”
• “Let's save the beautiful landmark of a building. No more destroying Prestatyn and Rhyl’s history.”
• “A Prestatyn landmark”
• “Don't let it have the same fate as some of our buildings”
• “I have fond memories of the TA Centre so I hope you manage to save it. I lived on Bastion Road for several years and my dad was a TA officer so I often went in to help out in the canteen. Far too much is destroyed because it doesn’t fit in with modern plans.”
• “Hopefully they will keep the facade of the building.”
• “No objection to the building being used for homes, but they could keep the facade - this has been done with buildings in Chester”

Although not a statutorily listed building, the TA Centre is a locally significant asset that must be protected. Planning Policy Wales (Edition 12, July 2024, Chapter 6) states that the historic environment is a finite resource and that public bodies have a statutory duty to protect it, including "undesignated assets of local significance." The proposal to demolish this landmark directly conflicts with this policy, as well as with Denbighshire LDP Policy RD1, which requires development to "protect and where possible enhance the local natural and historic environment." Furthermore, the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 places a statutory duty on public bodies to safeguard cultural well-being, which erasing this building directly conflicts with.

Critique of the Planning Statement

The Planning Statement produced by JLL (dated August 2025) fails to make a meaningful attempt at a heritage assessment of the existing TA building. As such, this document cannot be treated seriously, as no attempt has been made to understand the local significance of this building to our townspeople.

We find Section 7.13 to be particularly concerning. The statement claims the existing tower “has no historic merit”. Additionally, it makes the idle statement that “the site does not fall within a Conservation Area nor is the building a designated or non-designated heritage site". This ignores that the opposite corner of the crossroads is within the Prestatyn Conservation Area and that other significant buildings in the area are also outside the Conservation Area. This crossroads, known locally as Bromley Square, has significant buildings on two sides which are outside the Conservation Area – the TA Centre and Prestatyn’s original Victorian school – the VP School (now the Suhail Restaurant). The Planning Statement makes no attempt to acknowledge the holistic impact of the TA building's demolition to the Conservation Area and Bromley Square. The demolition of the TA Building at Bromley Square would cause demonstrable harm to the setting and significance of the Conservation Area, a point which is dealt with in paragraphs 1.23-1.29 of Technical Advice Note 24. Furthermore, the Planning Statement fails to address the loss of a landmark building at a pivotal crossroads in Prestatyn; linking the town centre to the beach and adjacent to the A548 main coast road.

An Alternative, Community-Led Approach

The signatories of the petition are not against progress; we are against the destruction of our heritage. The proposed apartment block is an uninspiring and over-bearing pastiche of the TA Centre.

We believe that the existing building can be saved and restored, and that the options to retain the building in whole or in part have not been properly explored or discussed with the community. We feel there is a strong likelihood that many community members would support a scheme that preserves the external facades of the building, particularly the iconic tower and corner facades.

I am confident that members of the community, including the Town Council, Dr James Davies, myself and others, would be willing to work with the developer to find a suitable scheme that balances your objectives with the community’s desire to protect our heritage.

I have provided my contact number below should you wish to engage further on this subject.