Llanelli Market looks set to move and the uncertainty is a worry

Markets hold particular attachment for traders and shoppers and that certainly seems to be the case in Llanelli, where talk of relocation prompts varying reactions.

On an autumn weekday traders at the indoor market were providing that personal touch, showing a couple of elderly ladies where bath sponges were on display, guiding a man to his preferred Chelsea buns, and advising another lady that “little Yvonne” was the person who could help.

Some of the stallholders have decades of history such as Anne Reid – better known as “Anne the wool” – who runs Select Wool Shop. “Not too much has changed,” she said. “It should be left as it is. The market should be a market – not posh.”

But change looks set to be coming because the multi-storey car park above the market is nearing the end of its structural life although still safe, Carmarthenshire Council has said. The authority has been considering four options for the market including a move to Llanelli’s former Woolworths building on Vaughan Street, which is the most viable.

Celia Bird, who runs market cafe The Welsh Diner, said: “I think it might be good for Llanelli if we have a modern building – a big space with nice modern facilities, and nice toilets. If they came up with a good design we are quite happy to move. We might generate some new customers. You’ve got to think on the positive side.

“But it will be like starting all over again. We are worried. A lot of our customers come because of the parking facilities (above) – quite a lot are disabled. We are uncertain about our future.”

Emma Hughes, who runs deli and butcher’s Bwyd Blasus, said: “We would rather stay here, end of story. People in Llanelli know where the market is. It’s being forced on us. There’d be the upheaval for everybody.”

She wondered why the council didn’t take down the car park above bit by bit, leaving the market where it was. “If they could build the pyramids all those thousands of years ago, don’t tell me they can’t take a car park off a building?” she said.

She is not the only trader who has misgivings about what’s believed to the proposed two-storey design of the Woolworths market option. The concern is over accessibility for customers and which traders would end up on the first floor.

“The market needs to be on the ground floor,” said Miss Hughes. She recalled Llanelli’s previous market pavilion which dated from 1895 and made way for the current one, and felt towns and cities were being “uglified” by bland concrete buildings. “This town was once full of old, independent shops with grand entrances and staircases,” she said.

Miss Hughes and fellow trader Maureen Harries said people from far and wide used to visit the pavilion market, as it was. Mrs Harries, of Maureen’s Floral Designs, said she was working at the pavilion as a teenager when everyone had to move out while the structure was knocked down and superseded by the current market precinct, which opened in 1970.

“Why can’t they [the council] use the money to deal with the multi-storey and then we would be fine?” said Mrs Harries. “If we go into the old Woolworths, it would just feel like a McArthurGlen [retail outlet]. And where is everyone going to park?”

Peter Norrie runs three market stalls and said while he acknowledged the multi-storey car park was “crumbling apparently” he didn’t really want to move. “I can’t see why they can’t put a new roof over our heads here?” he said. “Is this place going to be left an eyesore or have they got bigger plans for it?”

While the indoor market is centrally located, pedestrianised Vaughan Street is close by and has an open feel.

Miriam Phillips, who took over her parents’ fruit and veg stall, said contractors had been working on the market precinct for years. “We’ve not really got a choice,” she said. “It could work. If they could only pick up what we have as it is and move it, it would be fantastic. A lot of people are anxious about the two floors.”

David James-Turvey, who runs retro gaming stall Retrobution, said meetings have been held with council officials and that a design showing a central skylight allowing daylight to pour into a new-look Woolworths market building was shown.

He said he was concerned how long the revamp would take if it was to go ahead, given how long the council’s housing and commercial development at the nearby Altalia restaurant site had continued for.

He added: “We don’t want it [a new market] to look just like a bunch of pop-up shops. And we would need quite a bit of space because we’ve got arcade machines.”

The council announced plans in July to relocate the market and potentially demolish the current building. Four options were on the table – temporarily relocating the market to outdoor or other provision before moving to a new home on the current site, relocating to Market Street South, relocating to the former Woolworths Building on Vaughan Street, or partial relocation to the Woolworths building with some traders going to empty town centre units.

The council acquired the Woolworths building in 2018 and has UK Government Levelling Up Fund money to develop a chunk of commercial space in the town centre by spring 2028. A health hub was initially proposed at the building but didn’t materialise.

Time is said to be ticking due to UK Government funding deadlines and the council confirmed this week that a pre-planning enquiry has been submitted for the Vaughan Street site. These are normally followed by a full planning application.

A council spokeswoman said the authority was committed to ensuring the market remained “a vibrant and sustainable” part of the town centre.

“We are currently exploring options for relocating the market to a more suitable and future-proofed location, with the former Woolworths building identified as the most viable option based on funding and timescale constraints,” she said.

“This proposal follows extensive engagement with market traders, including a consultation event held in July, where 85.71% of respondents agreed that Vaughan Street was the only realistic option moving forward. Furthermore, 90.47% expressed a willingness to work with the council to develop the plans collaboratively.”

She added: “We recognise the concerns raised by traders and the public, including those around parking, accessibility, and the use of two floors. These are being carefully considered as part of the design and feasibility process. The council is working closely with architects and consultants to ensure that any new market space is welcoming, accessible, and retains the character and community spirit that makes Llanelli Market unique.

“We are proud of the market’s heritage and its role in the town’s economy, and any changes will be made with sensitivity to its history and importance to the community. The traders will continue to operate from the current market until the new development is completed in 2028.”

Market trader Katie Thomas, who runs P Fashions, said of the potential Woolworths move: “I’m willing to give it a go. Obviously there’s some concerns about how it’s going to work. We may as well stick together and be on board.”

Fellow trader Gabor Hetesi, of IT repair business Gabe’s IT Repair, said: “We would prefer to say but I don’t think we have a choice. It could be good if they do it in the right way. I hope it will work out.”