Another £1million boost for Llanelli town centre

CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council will spend another £1million buying more properties in Llanelli Town Centre as part of its regeneration plans.

It has secured a further £800,000 from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places fund, and will put in more than £200,000 of its own cash to boost the budget.

The council has already bought seven town centre properties in a £1.5million investment as part of its Opportunity Street project which is supported by Welsh Government with aims to tackle poverty by creating jobs, encouraging skills development, improving housing, providing facilities and helping people into work.

The council is targeting key buildings within the town centre so that it can control their re-development and set affordable rents that will attract new businesses and tenants.

Currently around half of the properties in Llanelli town centre’s main shopping streets, including Stepney Street and Vaughan Street, are privately owned, leaving the council with little control over their use and no control over the level of rent businesses have to pay.

Work is already underway on several of the properties the council has bought in recent months.

New shop units with high-spec apartments above at number 10 and 12 Stepney Street will be the first to complete, and should be ready by the summer.

Bringing empty shops back into use and increasing footfall and spend in Llanelli to make it more attractive to businesses is a key priority of the Llanelli Town Centre Taskforce, launched by Leader of the Council, Cllr Emlyn Dole in 2015.

Cllr Dole said: “We are delighted to secure more funding to buy more buildings in Llanelli Town Centre and bring them back into use.

“We are already making great progress, and people are starting to see our commitment to regenerating the town and making Llanelli great again.

“We are now in negotiation with the owners of several large buildings in the town centre, and hope to announce more good news soon.”

Hwb arall o £1 filiwn ar gyfer canol tref Llanelli

BYDD Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yn gwario £1 filiwn arall yn prynu rhagor o eiddo yng Nghanol Tref Llanelli fel rhan o’i gynlluniau adfywio.

Mae wedi diogelu £800,000 yn rhagor gan gronfa Lleoedd Llewyrchus Llawn Addewid Llywodraeth Cymru, a bydd yn rhoi mwy na £200,000 o’i arian ei hun i roi hwb i’r gyllideb.

Mae’r Cyngor eisoes wedi prynu saith eiddo yng nghanol y dref fel rhan o fuddsoddiad £1.5miliwn yn y prosiect Stryd Cyfleoedd sy’n cael ei gefnogi gan Lywodraeth Cymru, gyda’r nod o fynd i’r afael â thlodi drwy greu swyddi, annog datblygu sgiliau, gwella tai, darparu cyfleusterau a helpu pobl i gael gwaith.

Mae’r cyngor yn targedu adeiladau allweddol yng nghanol y dref er mwyn gallu rheoli eu hailddatblygiad a gosod rhent fforddiadwy a fydd yn denu busnesau a thenantiaid newydd.

Ar hyn o bryd mae tua hanner yr eiddo ym mhrif strydoedd siopa canol tref Llanelli, sy’n cynnwys Stryd Stepney a Stryd Vaughan, yn eiddo preifat, sy’n golygu nad oes gan y cyngor lawer o reolaeth dros eu defnydd a dim rheolaeth o gwbl dros y rhent y mae’n rhaid i fusnesau ei dalu.

Mae gwaith eisoes yn mynd rhagddo ar nifer o’r eiddo y mae’r cyngor wedi’u prynu yn ystod y misoedd diwethaf.

Y rhai cyntaf i gael eu cwblhau bydd unedau siop newydd a fflatiau o’r radd flaenaf uwchben yn rhif 10 a 12 Stryd Stepney, a dylent fod yn barod erbyn yr haf.

Un o brif flaenoriaethau Tasglu Canol Tref Llanelli, a lansiwyd gan y Cynghorydd Emlyn Dole, Arweinydd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin yn 2015 yw gweld siopau gwag yn cael eu defnyddio unwaith eto a chynyddu nifer y siopwyr a’r gwariant yn Llanelli er mwyn gwneud y dref yn fwy deniadol i fusnesau.

Dywedodd y Cynghorydd Dole: “Rydym yn falch iawn o sicrhau rhagor o gyllid i brynu mwy o adeiladau yng Nghanol Tref Llanelli er mwyn eu defnyddio unwaith eto.

“Rydym eisoes yn gwneud cynnydd da, ac mae pobl yn dechrau gweld ein hymrwymiad i adfywio’r dref a sicrhau bod Llanelli yn wych unwaith eto.

“Rydym bellach mewn trafodaethau â pherchenogion nifer o’r adeiladau mawr yn y dref, ac yn gobeithio cyhoeddi rhagor o newyddion da yn fuan.”