Fortunes starting to turn for Llanelli and Ammanford | Mae’r rhod yn troi i Lanelli a Rhydaman

Fortunes starting to turn for Llanelli and Ammanford

GOOD things are to come for shoppers and businesses in Llanelli and Ammanford town centres, says the leader of Carmarthenshire County Council.

Cllr Emlyn Dole, who also heads regeneration in the county, said fortunes are starting to turn for the two towns that have had their fair share of struggles in recent years.

His comments come following the publication of the Vitality Index – a ranking system used by property experts Harper Dennis Hobbs to assess the ‘retail health’ of towns across the UK – that placed Carmarthen amongst the top five towns in Wales.

But whilst Llanelli and Ammanford are ranked further down the list, Cllr Dole said the best is yet to come for the two towns.

“It’s great news that Carmarthen seems to be holding its own, but we know we have work to do in other areas. That is why I was so determined when I became Leader of the council to turn the fortunes of both Llanelli and Ammanford around,” he said.

“Both are a work in progress, but we’ve already started breathing new life and ambition into them, driven by a committed group of people who sit on the Taskforce groups I set up and lead on in both towns.

“Together with decisions taken by the county council we are starting to create better conditions for businesses to thrive, and fresh incentives for developers to look seriously at what we’ve got to offer.”

In the last 18 months, the council has driven forward several regeneration schemes to support Llanelli and Ammanford town centres.

They include a new town centre loan scheme making up to £400,000 available to help bring empty sites and premises back into use; a decision to adopt the Welsh Government’s business rate reduction scheme, worth an estimated £488,000 for qualifying ratepayers in Carmarthenshire; and the offer of up to 15,000 free parking spaces every year to support town centre events.

In Llanelli, the council has spent more than £4million buying empty premises and development sites from private ownership as part of its Opportunity Street scheme, supported by Welsh Government. Two refurbished retail units and four apartments were launched earlier this month, with work currently underway on more.

It wants to streamline the planning process with a Local Development Order to cut the red-tape for potential developers, and it also brought its busy customer service centre into the heart of the town, bringing more visitors into the town more often.

The recent schemes add to the improvements already made to the town in the last five years, with the development of Eastgate – an entertainment, culture and restaurant quarter; a purpose-built new theatre; improvements to the public realm with new canopies and paving; and the regeneration of important buildings such as Llanelli Library.

In Ammanford, a Regeneration Development Fund was set up offering grants to property owners to help create high quality commercial and business premises and new job opportunities in the town.

Almost £900,000 is being spent on infrastructure improvements to support economic regeneration aspirations for the area, including the construction of a new roundabout on the A483 trunk road and A474 intersection, and the upgrade of the junctions to ease congestion.

A new entrance has been created at the Carregamman car park and a new controlled pedestrian crossing has been installed near the Wilko store.

Further investment is committed to the regeneration of the old police station and former magistrates court, which is set for a mixed use development, including office suites, retail space and residential accommodation; and plans are afoot to introduce a council customer service Hwb to the town, replicating the successful model trialled in Llanelli.

“We’ve been busy getting the right people around the table, and the right money on the table, to make things happen for both Llanelli and Ammanford,” said Cllr Dole.

“Regeneration doesn’t happen overnight, it takes good planning and lots of commitment from several partners.

“We know that the way people shop has changed but there is still a place for the local high street. What we need is fresh ideas and new thinking from potential developers, and more importantly the support of local people.

“As a council we are doing all we can to improve the retail and business offer across all our towns.”

·         Find out more about Carmarthenshire County Council’s regeneration plans and support for businesses at www.carmarthenshire.gov.wales/home/business

Mae’r rhod yn troi i Lanelli a Rhydaman

MAE haul ar fryn i siopwyr a busnesau yng nghanol trefi Llanelli a Rhydaman, meddai arweinydd Cyngor Sir Caerfyrddin.

Dywedodd y Cyng. Emlyn Dole, sydd hefyd â chyfrifoldeb arweiniol am adfywio yn y sir, fod y rhod yn troi i’r ddwy dref sydd wedi profi mwy na’u siâr o drafferthion dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf.

Daw ei sylwadau yn dilyn cyhoeddi’r Mynegai Bywiogrwydd – trefn restrol a ddefnyddir gan yr arbenigwyr eiddo Harper Dennis Hobbs i asesu ‘iechyd manwerthu’ trefi ledled y DU – a oedd yn gosod Caerfyrddin ymhlith y pum tref uchaf yng Nghymru.

Ond er bod Llanelli a Rhydaman mewn safleoedd is yn y rhestr, dywedodd y Cyng. Dole bod y gorau eto i ddod i’r ddwy dref.

“Mae’n newyddion gwych bod Caerfyrddin i’w gweld fel pe bai’n dal ei thir, ond gwyddom fod gennym waith i’w wneud mewn ardaloedd eraill. Dyna pam fy mod mor benderfynol o weddnewid ffawd Llanelli a Rhydaman pan ddes i’n Arweinydd y Cyngor,” meddai.

“Gwaith ar y gweill yw’r ddwy, ond rydym eisoes wedi dechrau rhoi bywyd ac uchelgais newydd iddynt, gyda’r gwaith yn cael ei lywio gan grŵp ymrwymedig o bobl sy’n eistedd ar y Tasgluoedd a sefydlwyd gennyf ac yr wyf yn eu harwain yn y ddwy dref.

“Ynghyd â’r penderfyniadau a wnaed gan y cyngor sir rydym yn dechrau creu amodau gwell i fusnesau ffynnu, a chymhellion newydd i ddatblygwyr roi ystyriaeth ddifrifol i’r hyn sydd gennym i’w gynnig.”

Yn y 18 mis diwethaf, mae’r cyngor wedi bwrw ymlaen â nifer o gynlluniau adfywio i gefnogi canol trefi Llanelli a Rhydaman.

Maent yn cynnig cynllun benthyciadau newydd ar gyfer canol trefi sy’n golygu bod £400,000 ar gael i helpu i’w gwneud yn bosibl defnyddio safleoedd ac adeiladau gwag unwaith eto; penderfyniad i fabwysiadu cynllun gostyngiadau ardrethi busnes Llywodraeth Cymru, yr amcangyfrifir ei fod yn werth £488,000 i dalwyr ardrethi cymwys yn Sir Gaerfyrddin; a chynnig hyd at 15,000 o fannau parcio am ddim bob blwyddyn i gefnogi digwyddiadau yng nghanol trefi.

Yn Llanelli, mae’r cyngor wedi gwario mwy na £4m yn prynu adeiladau a safleoedd datblygu gwag gan berchnogion preifat fel rhan o’i gynllun Stryd Cyfleoedd, a gefnogir gan Lywodraeth Cymru. Lansiwyd dwy uned fanwerthu wedi’u hadnewyddu a phedwar rhandy yn gynharach y mis hwn, gyda gwaith yn mynd rhagddo ar hyn o bryd ar ragor ohonynt.

Mae’n dymuno symleiddio’r broses gynllunio gyda Gorchymyn Datblygu Lleol i leihau’r fiwrocratiaeth i ddarpar ddatblygwyr, ac mae hefyd wedi dod â’i ganolfan gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid brysur i mewn i ganol y dref, gan ddod â mwy o ymwelwyr i mewn i’r dref yn amlach.

Mae’r cynlluniau diweddar yn ychwanegu at y gwelliannau sydd eisoes wedi cael eu gwneud i’r dref yn y pum mlynedd ddiwethaf, yn sgîl datblygu Porth y Dwyrain – ardal adloniant, diwylliant a bwytai; theatr newydd bwrpasol; gwelliannau i dir y cyhoedd gyda chanopïau a phalmentydd newydd; ac adfywio adeiladau pwysig megis Llyfrgell Llanelli.

Yn Rhydaman, fe sefydlwyd Cronfa Datblygu Adfywio sy’n cynnig grantiau i berchnogion eiddo i helpu i greu adeiladau masnachol ac adeiladau busnes o ansawdd da a chyfleoedd gwaith newydd yn y dref.

Mae bron i £900,000 yn cael ei wario ar welliannau i’r seilwaith i gefnogi dyheadau adfywio economaidd ar gyfer yr ardal, gan gynnwys adeiladu cylchfan newydd ar y groesffordd rhwng cefnffordd yr A483 a’r A474, ac uwchraddio’r cyffyrdd i leddfu tagfeydd. Mae mynedfa newydd wedi cael ei chreu ym maes parcio Carregaman ac mae croesfan newydd a reolir ar gyfer cerddwyr wedi cael ei gosod ar bwys siop Wilko.

Mae buddsoddiad pellach wedi’i neilltuo i adfywio’r hen orsaf heddlu a’r hen lys ynadon, a fydd yn cael ei ddefnyddio ar gyfer datblygiad defnydd cymysg, gan gynnwys swyddfeydd, safleoedd manwerthu a llety preswyl; ac mae cynlluniau ar droed i gyflwyno Hwb gwasanaeth cwsmeriaid gan y Cyngor yn y dref, gan efelychu’r model llwyddiannus a dreialwyd yn Llanelli.

“Rydym wedi bod yn brysur yn dod â’r bobl gywir o amgylch y bwrdd, ac yn sicrhau bod yr arian cywir ar y bwrdd, i wneud i bethau ddigwydd i Lanelli a Rhydaman” meddai’r Cyng. Dole.

“Nid yw adfywio’n digwydd dros nos; mae’n rhaid wrth gynllunio da a llawer o ymrwymiad gan nifer o bartneriaid.

“Gwyddom fod y ffordd y mae pobl yn siopa wedi newid ond mae lle i’r stryd fawr leol o hyd. Yr hyn y mae ei angen arnom yw syniadau newydd a ffordd newydd o feddwl gan ddarpar ddatblygwyr ac, yn bwysicach byth, cefnogaeth pobl leol.

“Fel cyngor rydym yn gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i wella’r arlwy manwerthu a busnes ar draws ein trefi i gyd.”

·         I gael rhagor o wybodaeth ewch i www.sirgar.llyw.cymru/cartref/busnes