A Llanelli resident has launched a public petition calling for the return of the town’s distinctive steel themed benches, 17 months after they were removed without warning. The benches, once a focal point of the town centre, were designed to reflect Llanelli’s industrial heritage and were considered a piece of street furniture art. Their disappearance has sparked frustration, confusion, and now, a growing community movement.
Campaigner Martin Hutchinson described the removal as “a complete messup” and said residents deserve answers and their benches back.
Martin explained that when the original benches were taken away, residents were told new ones would be installed. But the replacements “lasted just 36 hours” before being removed again.
“We were told new benches were coming. We waited three months. They put new ones in and they were gone the next day. Since then, nothing. No answers, no plan, no accountability.”
He says responsibility lies with a Carmarthenshire County Council task force, but claims even senior officers were unaware of decisions being made.
The benches were not ordinary seating. They were commissioned through a five-year grant and designed to represent the rollers and tinworks of Llanelli’s steelmaking history.
“They were a monument to the town. A reminder of our industrial past. Even the glass canopy above reflects steelwork patterns onto the ground when the sun shines. It’s clever design but only if people are told what it means.”
Martin says the benches also served an important social purpose.
“If you’re lonely, depressed, or just want to be around people, you could sit there. You didn’t have to talk, you just knew others were nearby. It was a social space, and we’ve lost that.”
Martins passion for the benches span across a number of years and can be seen on youtube pointing out when they were cleaned and needed cleaning. The official explanation given for the removal was antisocial behaviour, but Martin argues the issue hasn’t been solved, only moved.
“They said drug users were hanging around the benches. But now they’re just 100 yards away on other benches. Removing ours didn’t fix anything.”
He believes the answer is better management, not removal.
“If antisocial behaviour happens, you patrol it. You deal with it. You don’t punish the whole town by taking away something important.”
Martin says the atmosphere of the town centre has changed dramatically.
“People walk through town now, but they don’t stay. If a bench keeps someone in town ten minutes longer, they might buy a coffee or a cake. It helps local businesses. Now people just pass through.”
He believes the benches were a focal point, something that made the town centre feel like a place to gather, not just walk through.
Martin is open minded about solutions, but firm that the original benches must be preserved.
“Ideally, they come back to the town centre. But if not, they could go somewhere like Pentre Awel. They cost a lot of money and they’re a work of art. They shouldn’t be scrapped.”
He fears the benches may already be at risk.
“I want photographic evidence they’re still in Llanelli and being cared for. I’m worried they’ll be cut up for scrap. That would be a disgrace.”
For Martin, the campaign is about more than benches, it’s about community voice.
“A small group of people made this decision without asking us. We live here. We should have a say in what happens in our town.”
He believes the petition is a chance for residents to show the council that the issue matters.
“People feel ignored. This is about standing up and saying: listen to us. We want our town to feel like home again.”
Martin is urging residents to support the campaign by signing the petition and sharing it widely.
“If people sign, it shows the council we care. It shows we want our heritage respected and our voices heard.”
If you believe the benches should be returned, or at the very least preserved, add your name to the petition and help bring back a piece of Llanelli’s identity here:
https://www.change.org/p/bring-back-our-llanelli-community-out-door-seating-area
