Simon Buckley: I will do my level best to work to preserve Parc Howard for the people of Llanelli.

A descendant of Llanelli’s world famous Buckley family has added his voice to the campaign to keep Parc Howard ‘for the people of Llanelli’.

Simon Buckley, a sixth generation member of the Buckley brewing dynasty, said: “Parc Howard has always been a jewel in the crown of Llanelli.

“It was gifted to the people of Llanelli – and it must remain as a public park and historic attraction for the people and the children of the town.

“It is not some trinket to be bartered away to developers waving cheque books which will be blank in every sense of the word.”

Mr Buckley, 58, was formerly the Chief Executive of the award-winning Evan-Evans brewing group, which has a brewery in Llandeilo and a pub estate across South Wales.

“I, like many, believe that the plans for Parc Howard need careful consideration and that Parc Howard should not be seen as a potential ‘balance sheet’ sale.

“Parc Howard was an important part of our family’s early history in Llanelli, and I for one would hate to see this become another ‘nodded through’, concrete-box development plan, sponsored by Carmarthenshire County Council to raise cash to pay their chief executive, and his coterie of executives ever higher salaries.

“Carmarthenshire County Council has a reputation for steamrollering through sales and development plans which later fail. Just look at Cross Hands and Sainsbury’s supermarket as one example!

“When my family gifted this property (Bryncaerau) to the people of Llanelli, it was for the long term benefit of the people of the town, not to be turned into some housing or mixed development site.

“Perhaps now is the time for the Buckley family, fast approaching 250 years of family brewing, to return to Llanelli, take Parc Howard back and develop it for the benefit of the townspeople again?

“The opportunity to develop the house as a thriving business alongside the parkland is not beyond the wit of man, and certainly not beyond us as the Buckley family.

“In short, I will do my level best to work to preserve Parc Howard for the people of Llanelli.

“Nothing must happen to the park and the Mansion House without proper scrutiny, proper consultation and a proper democratic process.

“The debate over the future of Parc Howard must be totally transparent and conducted in the presence of the full oxygen of local publicity.

“I am sure there are willing supporters of Parc Howard who will do their level best to come up with innovative solutions to the current problems and help us keep this jewel in the crown for the people of Llanelli.

“The key to this will be innovation.

“It may be that the public have to accept some commercialisation of the asset as a bargaining chip to preserving its wider use for the public. But that is a debate which must take place in a properly transparent manner.”