18 June 2024 , 13:51
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A pensioner was left appalled after a nostalgic trip to her hometown. Penny Colegate, 68, who once worked in the seaside resort, historically one of the UK's most famous, was taken aback by the litter-strewn streets.
Upon returning to her current home in Hampshire, Penny expressed her dismay at seeing her former home "swimming in litter". She described pavements covered in cans, bottles and takeaway wrappers, with rubbish piled up under street furniture.
Penny claimed that not only was the town unsightly and a health hazard, but it also tarnished Llandudno's reputation as a tourist destination.
"Seeing the town like this really upset me," said Penny, who reached out to North Wales Live to voice her concerns. "Llandudno is the premier tourist destination in north Wales and to say it was dirty is an understatement."
Penny said she spent two nights in the town's Travelodge and was looking forward to visiting old haunts during her first trip back to the area since moving to Basingstoke 13 years ago in the wake of her ex-husband's death.
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She said: "As soon as I stepped out of the Travelodge, I saw a side road full of litter that was tumbling towards me in the wind. The whole place was filthy. Everywhere there were Coke cans, plastic bottles, serviettes and fast food wrappers. Cigarette butts too.
""Litter had accumulated in shop doorways and under public benches and it looked to have been there for a goodly period. I moved a glass left in the road so that it didn't hurt anyone, and picked a glass jar from a drain and put it in a bin.
"Most of those responsible were visitors, I imagine, and it's left the town looking dirty bordering on filthy."
Glass and plastic bottles discarded in vegetation near Llandudno Pier's ferris wheel (David Powell/North Wales Live)Llandudno, like many British towns and cities, is grappling with litter woes and the influx of summer tourists combined with a bustling hospitality scene exacerbates the situation, as do seagulls rummaging through bins.
On the frontline are daily street cleaners and a legion of volunteers, who recently tidied up areas with support from Asda employees and school pupils. Other organisations and solo activists also contribute to keeping the town clean, with numerous beach-cleaning events organised year-round.
Despite these efforts, the task can seem thankless and endless. This sentiment was echoed by a former resident who revisited Llandudno after eight years: "Just been to Llandudno for the first time in eight years after living there for 45 years. Felt sad at how rundown it looked. Happy to be back home in France without the litter and traffic."
Regular visitors have voiced similar observations. A visitor from Yorkshire who travels yearly expressed his frustration: "I just don't understand why people travel a couple of hours each way to a lovely seaside town and then spoil it. The cost of cleaning this mess up is funded by a council that visitors don't pay a penny towards.
"And whilst tourists are good for the local economy, it's just a shame so many don't respect your beautiful town like we do."
Parked up in a line of litter (David Powell/North Wales Live)Penny, originally from Dyserth in Denbighshire, spent four days touring north Wales. She started her journey in Flint, then went to Holywell, St Asaph, Bodelwyddan and Anglesey.
"Most of these places had issues with littering but not on the same scale," she saidd. "The situation in Llandudno was appalling. If the council doesn’t have the money, a tourist tax would help pay for extra litter-picking. Tourism is Llandudno’s lifeblood and if the town doesn’t tackle its litter problem, people will stay away. I found it so sad.”
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Llandudno is one of Britain's most-famed seaside resorts
Its historic pier is a classic example of a Victorian pier, which has drawn tens of thousands of visitors for decades and moreEarlier this year, a meeting took place in the town to discuss potential strategies for reducing litter. There seems to be a local consensus suggesting that although visitors are primarily the culprits, locals can't wash their hands entirely of the situation. Many recall a "spotless" resort during Covid lockdowns when takeaways were closed, and visitors couldn't pop in.
Penny, visiting her ex-husband Peter Jones's grave in a churchyard alongside a nephew from Mochdre, was far from impressed with its condition too, saying: "It used to be immaculate, now it's a disgrace."
During her visit, Penny took out time to lodge a complaint with the council, saying: "Don't look up at all of the resort's lovely buildings. Look down at the pavements because that's where all the filth is."
In response, Conwy Council acknowledged there was "no excuse" for littering: "We regularly remind visitors and residents to be responsible with their litter, via our social media accounts and on-site posters. Most people dispose of their litter responsibly, and it's disappointing that there's a minority of people who don't. Littering can have a negative impact on everyone's enjoyment of nature, can be a danger to animals and can pollute our environment. Take all your rubbish home with you, or put it in a bin, and leave no trace of your visit."