Historic town square to get £306k makeover

A higgledy-piggledy town square in Carmarthenshire will be revamped after funding for the £306,809 project was confirmed.

The square in Kidwelly has a bus stop, patches of paving, grassy areas, a couple of benches, and public toilets in one corner. It’s a bit all over the shop.

Kidwelly Town Council has planning permission to overhaul the square and is, according to a Carmarthenshire Council report, contributing just under £132,000 towards the project.

The county council will now contribute £175,000, with £75,000 of that coming from the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund. The funding decision was agreed by cabinet members at a meeting on October 30.

Cllr Hazel Evans, cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture and tourism, said the redesigned town square, next to The Fishermans Arms, will host market stalls and performance areas, giving the town an economic boost.

Kidwelly is one of 10 rural towns in Carmarthenshire which the Plaid Cymru-Independent administration is backing financially to stimulate job opportunities. Cllr Ann Davies, whose brief includes planning policy and rural affairs, said money has already been provided to three of them – Llandeilo, Llandovery and Cwmaman. “This is now Kidwelly’s turn to get capital funding,” she said.

The new-look square, said Cllr Davies, will host the town’s monthly market and make better use of the small parcel of land outside St Mary’s Church. It’ll have new public toilets, 10 bike parking spaces, new greenery and a rebuilt bus shelter.

Kidwelly is known for its castle, which dates from the early 12th Century, and has other historically significant buildings such as St Mary’s Church, the town hall and Capel Sul – a chapel with an Italian-influenced design. Part of the town is a designated conservation area.