Llwynhendy Hub Project needs your views

There has been significant progress with funding plans for a new multi-purpose community hub and outdoor space in Llwynhendy. The project steering group has negotiated a package of support to help realise the project and over £800,000 has been secured from the project partners: Llanelli Rural Council, Our Llwynhendy and Carmarthenshire County Council.

Over the last two years the project steering group led by Llanelli Rural Council has conducted a feasibility study, architectural designs, site visits to other community hubs, numerous surveys, consultations and more. Recent work has gone into setting up a Charitable Incorporated Organisation made up of local residents and library users. The charity, which is called Pro-Vision Llwynhendy, will act for the local people, help with fundraising and will eventually run the day-to-day business of the building. Other developments lately include a full planning application being submitted to the planning authorities at the end of January and the project is entering the final key stage before applying for grant support.

Council Clerk, Mark Galbraith stated “the project estimate is in the region of £1.65 million. Following recent meetings with Lottery and Welsh Government grant advisors and the appointed architects, the application for grant funding to make up the shortfall in funding will be made at the start of April 2022. However, one further round of community consultation is required before the grant application form can be submitted. It is very important that the project steering group hears from all Llwynhendy and Pemberton residents but especially from those that match the following demographic: Adult males, people living with a health condition or impairment, black and minority ethnic background and adults aged 65 and over. If you fall within one of these categories then we need to hear from you as soon as possible. Without community buy-in, applying for significant grant support is seriously undermined and without grant support the project is likely to fail. A lot of time and money has been spent on the preliminary work to allow this to happen so we are reaching out once again to residents to garner the important information which we need to help us to satisfy the grant process.”

“Your views can be given by a variety of means: If you have access to the internet, surveys are available online at www.llanelli-rural.gov.uk or they can be taken over the phone if you call Llanelli Rural Council on 01554 774103. Surveys can also be completed at Llwynhendy Library. A focus group meeting will also be called in mid-March and anyone interested in attending this must contact Llanelli Rural Council or leave their details via email at enquiries@llanelli-rural.gov.uk. Efforts will also be made to contact local support organisations, residential complexes and regular social media content will be put out over the next couple of weeks. You can follow the project on Facebook and Instagram by searching @LlwynhendyHub”.