New plans for the building which once housed the Altalia restaurant and Barbican pub have been unveiled after it was revealed that the site was set for demolition.
The old building has stood on the corner between Market Street and Stepney Street in Llanelli town centre since the 1800s, but in December, 2019, the family who owned the Altalia restaurant decided to close the business after nearly two decades.
Carmarthenshire Council has now revealed plans for the prominent building to be transformed into commercial units and apartments as part of a investment to regenerate the town centre which has been struggling in recent years.
The building has a longstanding history in the town, first as the Cambrian Hotel, then as popular pub, The Barbican.
Llanelli residents nicknamed the building 'the fishbowl' because of its unique windows, and plans to demolish the property were met with controversy with a petition being launched to try and save it.
Regular punter at the Barbican pub, Stephen Taylor, 60 said: "I have such fond memories of the place that I couldn’t imagine walking through town and it not being there, the thought of them bulldozing the beautiful building when there doesn’t look like there is anything wrong with it - it’s really sad."
Former manager of the pub, Peter Qualters, also expressed sadness over the loss of the building, saying: "I have such brilliant memories working there, it is a real shame especially when you remember how it used to be. I'll be sad to see the place go."
Unfortunately, the council has said the building cannot be redeveloped due to its current poor structural condition, but the new design is hoping to give a nod to its current character by replicating its splayed corner. The facade of the building is also planned to be a traditional brick and block to compliment the character of the Exchange Building opposite.
Carmarthenshire Council, along with Asbri Planning, have said the development is part of a huge investment to transform and regenerate Llanelli town centre after a number of big retailers left.
How Llanelli's town centre has changed over the years:
The Market Street North scheme is one of a number of developments aiming to improve the appearance of the main shopping district in a bid to attract more commercial interest and footfall.
More investment into key buildings in the town centre is also said to be in the pipeline, but yet to be announced.
The new scheme is still in its early stages so it is not yet known when work will be underway.
Cllr Emlyn Dole, leader of the council, said: "Very shortly we will be sharing our vision for the whole town centre, where we are investing heavily to improve the town’s appeal and bring more businesses and people in.
"We have already spent significantly to buy several buildings from private owners and have brought them back into use at rental levels that are achievable for the local market. This has been its own success, but we have even more planned.
"Market Street North is an important element of these plans, and we’ve seized the opportunity of significant grant funding from the Welsh Government to develop this site.
"We know this is a much-loved building that holds a lot of memories for many people in Llanelli, and whilst we cannot use the current building because of its poor structural state we are keen to retain the look and feel of this corner.
"We hope our plans to re-build on this site, providing improved retail and food units with apartments above, will attract new businesses and people to the town.
"We are still disappointed that Altalia is no longer part of our plans for this site because of the owners' own commitments, but we want to create purpose-built premises that will become home to businesses of equal appeal and quality to bring vibrancy back to this end of town.
"This feeds into our overall plans for the town which we hope to share in the very near future."
