LLANELLI traders and shoppers must be given their say on plans to move the town’s popular indoor market and demolish the Murray Street multi-storey car park.
That’s the demand from leading local Labour politicians who fear the piecemeal redevelopment of the town centre could be to the detriment of existing businesses.
Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith has further called for a new, bigger vision to be drawn up as a masterplan to map the future regeneration of the town.
‘What we really need is a proper vision for the town focusing on how we revitalise the town and increase footfall,’ said Ms Griffith.
”The proposed development needs to be part of a bigger vision that should be published, with wide consultation on what the people here in Llanelli want to see.
‘It should not be a piecemeal plan presented to them.’
Carmarthenshire County Council revealed four options for the future of Llanelli Market at a meeting with traders last week.
They are:
* Temporarily relocate the Market to outdoor or other provision before relocating to a new home on the current site.
* Relocate to Market Street South,
* Relocate to the former Woolworths building in Vaughan Street.
* Hybrid option of relocating the Market to the former Woolworths building with some traders going to empty retail sites within the town centre.
Ms Griffith said: ‘We are still all digesting the news from the county council that they announced last week.
‘We feel it’s really important that the traders, who are the people who are most affected, should have every opportunity to shape things as they move forward.’
Ms Griffith and Llanelli Town Council leader David Darkin will host a meeting with market traders at the Mayor’s Parlour next Tuesday, August 5, at 5.30pm to hear firsthand their opinions.
‘We understand that we can’t just ignore the problems of the structure of the current building and multi-storey car park, so we must do something, as we understand the council has the opportunity to draw down some very significant funding from the UK Government.
‘But there are lots of issues we know are concerning people and we need to make sure that these are all properly considered.
‘For example, I’m very keen to see that this is not used as an excuse to put rents up for traders because that would make it very difficult for most of them to carry on, and completely negate the whole aim of the project,’ said Ms Griffith.
‘We need to come together and have a really constructive conversation but be very clear about what the problems are so that we can take these issues to the county council.’
Councillor Darkin said he believed the Government funding pot available for the town centre is a multi-million pound pot, and that the scheme has to be completed by Spring 2028.
It is believed experts have assessed the Murray Street multi-storey car park as having ‘concrete cancer’ and having only a few years of life left.
‘There are concerns that traders have been presented with a fait accompli with the plans drawn up without consultation,’ said Councillor Darkin.
”The Chamber of Trade has been calling for a proper plan for the town centre for years but they have been ignored by the Plaid-led county council,’ he added.
‘We need a proper strategy.’