If permission is granted for temporary use of the Pier Pavilion site for outdoor events, Adam plans to make use of the Pier Pavilion site’s ornate cast iron features (Image: Aaran Lennox/North Wales Live)
The owner of Llandudno pier is aiming to use the adjacent pavilion site as a temporary events space. Longer term, Adam Williams still hopes the site can be developed as an entertainment complex with attractions such as a cinema, bowling alley and amusements
He’s getting legal advice on the options available at the resort’s old Pavilion Pier site, which has sat derelict since its theatre burned down in 1994. The plot has existing permission for an apartment block and Adam is anxious not to compromise this by using it for other purposes.
“Llandudno lacks an open-air events space which the pavilion site could fulfil,” he said. “It’s at the same level as the pier so the site is essentially an extension. It could accommodate more amusements but also more shops and activities like Christmas markets.
“However we need to find a legal way of doing it from a planning perspective. Having existing permission for a building on the site would make it easier for us to get future consent for the entertainment centre – so I don’t want to lose that.
“Temporary use would at least enable us to clean it up while we deal with longer-term plans for what is a difficult site. The entertainment complex is a costly build that’s more for the long term good of the pier and the town.”
Adam, managing director of Tir Prince Leisure Group (TPLG), was a fierce critic of plans to build 54 luxury apartments on the pavilion site. Fearful of its impact on his historic pier, he snapped up the plot when it was suddenly put up for auction in autumn 2021.
Ensure our latest news and sport headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings
Back then he estimated the cost of an entertainment facility at £20m. Initial concept drawings were described as “very impressive” by those who saw them. Funding and site complexities meant progress has been slow and no timelines have been fixed for temporary or permanent use.
Last month he cut his family’s ties with Rhyl when selling his West Parade arcade. Saddened, Adam warned that failure to invest appropriately in seaside resorts would lead to their eventual demise.
In January, TPLG sold its Mr B’s Arcade in Rhyl amid doubts about the resort’s future direction. The buyer was Lyons Holiday Parks, which is planning a £1m refurbishment into a “state-of-the-art arcade” featuring new machines and upgraded food options.
It meant Rhyl no longer has a “Showman” operating in the resort. These are the 4,000 UK members of the Showman’s Guild for families running fairgrounds, circuses, shows and festivals. “As I understand it, Rhyl is now the only UK resort without a Showman,” said Adam.
“It’s sad, my family has operated in Rhyl since the 1950s. But as much as I love the town, we can’t keep losing money there. It’s a shame what’s happened to Rhyl. It’s had all that money ploughed into it but not always in the right places.”
He continued: “It highlights why we need to look after our seaside resorts. Two things make these places work – beds and attractions. But it’s often a Catch 22: people won’t invest in accommodation without attractions, and vice versa.
“Without the right investment, you start losing links in the chain that made a resort successful – the generations of people who love the place and want to return. Once you’ve lost them, it’s difficult to get them back.”
This week, Llandudno Pier reopened its arcades, chippy and kiosk concessions. Other TPLG food and drink outlets will open ahead of April, buoyed by two recent accolades for the much-loved Victorian structure – in 2025 it was named the UK’s Pier of the Year and collected a Tripadvisor Travellers Choice Award.
As the Easter break is earlier this year, pier teams are rushing to get everything shipshape for the 2026 season. Still to be trucked to the site is the pier’s Ferris wheel.
Adam said: “Winter was relatively kind to use this year, especially compared with last winter (when Storm Darragh caused a two-month closure following the destruction of two kiosks and extensive damage to pier amenities).
“However we did suffer some storm damage from a rare event. Usually the pier is sheltered by the Orme and storm winds rarely blow directly towards the Grand Hotel.
“I can’t remember which storm it was, but it came in from a different angle and blew out storm gratings on the pier – these are like safety values to prevent rough seas blowing out the decking. They’ve had to be replaced, along with damaged Tarmac by the Happy Valley entrance.”
More maintenance work is needed on the pier’s critical components before the 2026 season. Since Storm Darragh in December 2024, significant off-peak repairs have been made steel piles and support beams. Next on the agenda are the metal cross-bracings that bind the pier’s legs and girders.
“These tend to be underwater for much of the year,” said Adam. “So we have to wait for super low tides before we can access them – and they don’t come around very often.
“The next ones are in early March. It’s a very short window of opportunity, perhaps a couple of days. We have to make the most of it, whether the lows tides are night or day. All the steel must be pre-cut in advance so that we’re ready to go. People often don’t realise how much work is needed to keep the piece in good shape.”
One change likely this year is an increasing focus on the Asian market. During 2025 pier staff noticed more Asian couples and families were visiting from home and abroad – and Adam is reacting accordingly.
“We’re changing some of our food and beverage offerings to cater for the Asian community,” he said. “We’re seeing the trend and we have to adapt to it. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox
“I think many Asians see Llandudno as a safe place with a welcoming community – somewhere where they’ll be free from racism while enjoying spectacular scenery.”
