Town Centre Official Opening

If I hadn't caught word of it only this evening, there would have been a post much earlier. Let's cut to the chase: tomorrow marks the inauguration of the renovated town centre, completing one of five keystone regeneration projects in Llanelli.

As part of the ADREF programme – jointly funded by Carmarthenshire County Council and the European Regional Development Fund – £4.3 million has been invested in enhancing the town centre.

For 'streetscene' improvements, £2.9m was allocated to:

• the replacement of canopies along Vaughan Street and Stepney Street (£200,000);
• the installation of a free-standing stainless steel and glass canopy structure engraved with public art, accompanied by new sitting facilities;
• and the creation a newly-paved Central Square at the entrance of St. Elli Shopping Centre.

Around £1.4 million has been allocated to town centre businesses:

• Grants of up to £15,000 were offered to local businesses to facilitate a systematic renovation of property frontages (through Town Improvement Grants) and expansions of commercial floor space into/refurbishment of derelict sites (through Property Development Grants) within the town centre.

These 'environmental enhancements' have been complemented by the ADREF 'showcase' project, which seeks to inform the public of the regeneration programme in Llanelli and to convey the vision and values of town planners.

So, the renovation works are finally complete. When Central Square is opened to the public tomorrow morning, people will have much to contemplate for years to come – particularly the new seating arrangement:

What do you make of it?

Will it be easy to snag a coat or break a finger on these benches? Or will they serve as a neat place to chain a bike or tie a dog?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

contact me: @draigdun / Facebook / Google+ / email

Events begin at 10:30 tomorrow morning, with an official opening of Llanelli town centre, at Central Square. Following this, Llangennech Primary School choir will perform, and Carmarthenshire Young Traders competition 2013 will take place – a 'market trading competition' in Llanelli Outdoor Market featuring four local Primary Schools – from 10am until 2pm. Radio Carmarthenshire will also be in the centre broadcasting events live throughout the day.

The Outdoor Market is making a come-back (bigger than ever, apparently) on Thursday and Saturday, with everything from handmade jewellery, greetings cards, Welsh cakes, paintings, crafts, a cart full of sugary stuff, and more, on sale.

The 'Who do you think you art?' exhibition will be held upstairs in Llanelli library, featuring more than 250 art pieces on display throughout June. Introduction to Geocaching sessions will be also held at the library.

For the full list of events, click here.

If you can't make it, here's a Quidditch player's eye view of the new shopping centre: www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTsHKZonvdo (note the depressing <1,000 views since it was uploaded in 2011)

P.S: Carms County Council are relenting on the parking issue, inviting everyone to park free of charge in all Council-run car parks. Just for the launch day.

We have a Central Square.

Most urban areas have a central open space. A space where everybody ends up at some point in their day, regardless of where they intended to be. These spaces often provide clues to the kind of metropolis in which you find yourself.

Big piazza: big city.

Squeaky-clean civic centre: top-notch street-cleaning service.

Empty market square: ghost town.


Some towns have more than one 'main' square, some less central than others. And some towns give their central open spaces a name – perhaps because town planners attach such great importance to their civic centres, squares, and plazas, or simply because it's convenient.

Llanelli's nominee for such a place is located at the intersection of Vaughan Street and Stepney Street – outside Boots and directly opposite the St Elli shopping centre.

Although not strictly a square or a quadrilateral, it measures roughly 40 x 30 metres (130 x 100 ft) and has become a centrepiece of the ADREF town centre scheme.

It's name?

Central Square.

That's according to at least two press releases from County Council (December 2012 ; April 2013 ).

Ac yn gymraeg..? 'Sgwâr Canolog'?



Anyway, Tin Dragon is pleased to reveal that, as of June 3rd 2013  'Central Square' has now been added to Google Maps.

Until very recently, the Square featured a couple of red bricked flower beds and a raised performance area. These reminders of the town's era of stagnation were removed late 2012 and are currently being replaced by a new central canopy structure which complements the main canopy installation along the retail district.

The central feature comprises a large stainless steel and glass 'umbrella' engraved with public art. Woven around it is a fascinating seating arrangement constructed of dark folded steel strips that currently look quite… dangerous! We'll see how it feels when it's all complete.

Do you have any good memories of the old Square? Maybe you could suggest a better name for it?
And what are your thoughts on this renovation?

Please let me know in the comments below or on Facebook / Twitter / Google+!

I'll meet you at the Square.

Tin. °—°