Project Regenerating Llanelli provisionally awarded over £15 million

Carmarthenshire County Council has today, 20 November 2023, received confirmation that its bid for funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund for Llanelli Town Centre has been provisionally approved.

The original funding application, submitted for Round Two of the Levelling Up Fund in late 2022, was deemed unsuccessful, however, funding to bring the former Woolworths store in Llanelli town centre back into permanent and productive use has been provisionally approved during Round Three of the Levelling Up Fund.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s original proposal for funding was based on plans to regenerate the former Woolworths store in Llanelli into permanent and productive use as a new facility offering flexible co-working and office space, business support and a town centre base for stakeholders.  All with a view to increasing footfall and vibrancy to support the town centre economy.

The bid for funding also looked to deliver quality public realm improvements to Central Square, Spring Gardens and Cowell Street.

The UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund has provisionally approved funding of £15,547,105 for these projects, deliverable by March 2026.

The provisional awarding of funding is for the specific project that was within the Council’s bid last year and the money awarded cannot be used to support activity that is substantially different. However, the UK Government does recognise that project adjustments may need to be made due to inflationary pressures.

On learning of the success of the bid, Cllr. Hazel Evans said: “We welcome the Levelling Up Fund’s decision to approve our bid for funding for Llanelli town centre and look forward to revisiting the proposal with UK Government officials and stakeholders and exploring the possible opportunities to further develop the vibrancy of the town centre and its economic wellbeing.”

Carmarthenshire County Council was successful in the first round of Levelling Up Fund applications and secured nearly £17m to take forward the Tywi Valley cycle path project between Carmarthen and Llandeilo and a share of nearly £20m, in a joint bid with Pembrokeshire County Council, for new town centre hubs in Carmarthen and Pembroke.