A business enterprise says it has leveraged almost £2m of investment for the Bay of Colwyn as it responds to criticism about the impact of the regeneration venture.
Colwyn BID was started in 2016 with businesses paying a levy to fund investment and promotional activities for the area.
It has received a mixed response from the business community – with some believing it has had a positive impact on the area and others sceptical about what effect it is having.
Colwyn BID manager Cheryl Williams said they were determined to establish services and initiatives that have a positive impact and a lasting legacy and says they want to increase engagement to ensure businesses can feed in what changes they want to see.
Ambassadors are being recruited to further engage with the hundreds of firms in the area and feed back on where they believe money should be spent, what schemes will benefit the Bay of Colwyn and how best to generate revenue for private-sector representatives.
They also say the Wales Rally GB speed stage of the FIA World Rally Championship on Colwyn promenade in October is already seeing B&Bs and hotels getting extra bookings.
There are also additional plans for street cleaning and road improvements in the four town centres.
Ms Williams, the first accredited BID Manager in Wales, said: “The levy payers have been consulted on what they want to see and how best to move the BID forward.
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“But we want to engage more with them and hopefully attract better numbers to our networking events and drop-in sessions.
“The ambassadors will be out in the community meeting with businesses regularly as part of our communication and engagement initiative and can feed their opinions directly to the BID office so we know what will have the greatest impact on them, their town and the community.”
She added: “The BID has faced its challenges but ultimately we want everyone to get behind us and have their say on how best to take it forward, for the benefit of the Bay of Colwyn and the many fantastic business owners and employees we have here.”
Among the schemes to have already been successful are the 20% public transport discount for levy payers and employees with bus company Arriva; installation of nine defibrillators and training for more than 100 people in how to use them; new bus stops in Mochdre; the painting of more than 450 metres of railings and fencing, and more than 10,000 hours of additional maintenance work.
The next phase of that is about to begin in Old Colwyn, as part of a ‘mini-regeneration’ project.
They said securing up to £2m for the local economy is a notable highlight, which includes £520,000 of additional funding above the levy investment.
And with a new marketing officer in place, Ms Williams believes past communication issues will be resolved, starting with a new-look website.
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She said: “The BID has come in for criticism previously as some projects would only impact on a certain area or there have been delays beyond our control, namely the multi-agency project for signage in Mochdre.
"Following a positive meeting with the local council, who had no objections, I am confident the resubmitted application will be successful.”
She added: “While you cannot please everybody it is about maintaining a balance and pushing ahead with ideas and initiatives that make a positive and lasting impression, especially when it comes to jobs, the economy and supporting our communities.
"Being there for schools and local children is also crucial as they are the future of this area.
“When Colwyn BID was established the objectives were chosen by the businesses. Priorities change but the vision remains the same, to work together for the companies and their employees, creating something we can all be proud of.”