We are open for business, says storm-hit Aberystwyth

Work is forging ahead to repair damage caused by storms last month, even as the resort is being buffeted by fresh bouts of severe weather.

Wendy Morgan-Twiddy, Mayor of Aberystwyth – one of the most popular resorts on the Ceredigion coastline – says her town is "absolutely" open for business and would welcome visitors with open arms.

"Without doubt, people should come here," she says. "There is everything for holiday makers to do, rain or shine. There has been a lot of work putting the prom back together, I know that the county council has worked hard to get the prom open again. They have been working around the clock."

For a few days at the start of January the promenade was left almost unrecognisable after the storms which hit early in the month, but evidence on the ground now is that work has begun in earnest to be repaired and restored in time for Easter. Landmarks like the seafront paddling pool and are being rebuilt ready for the spring.

The storms which first hit on January 3 left damage to seafront houses, roads and promenades. Worst-hit was Aberystwyth where paving stones and benches were ripped from the ground, whipped up by the sea and thrown around.

Relentless rain, gale force winds and high tides over five nights left the promenade looking worse for wear. The sea wall was holed, and the historic Bath Rock Victorian shelter on the promenade collapsed into a hole after its foundations were washed away by massive waves. Built in 1923, the grade II-listed shelter is protected by CADW, which look after Wales's historic monuments. It has been dismantled and taken away to be repaired, before being replaced in its original position.

Welsh Assembly minister Alun Davies called Aberystwyth the "jewel in the crown of Ceredigion's tourist industry" after the storms and pledged to seek ways to invest in the prom to ensure its future. That is good news for West Midlands tourist who have been visitors to this part of the country for generations.

Aberystwyth and Borth seafronts have since been cleared of debris. The council began work to clear pavements and roads on January 9, followed by a call to the public two days later where 200 people helped move more than 400 tonnes of sand. Quay Parade in Aberaeron has also since been cleared and re-opened.

Councillor Morgan-Twiddy added: "The bandstand on our seafront has come out of it better than most of the prom, the paddling pool railings will be repaired as soon as possible, and everything else is still here." She said a lot of the town's attractions were not on the seafront itself and were in the town.

Ceredigion Council is aiming to completely re-open Aberystwyth Promenade by Easter. The cost of repairs is expected to exceed £8 million.

The Welsh Government has announced funds totalling £3.6 million to repair flood defences, as well as a new £1.6m fund, of which Ceredigion is to receive the largest amount, £560,000.

With Wales being voted by Rough Guide readers as one of the top five countries to visit in 2014, and visitor numbers increasing each year, the Assembly Government is keen to boost the repair programme before visiting season begins.