Llanelli shopping arcade promising 100 jobs is backed

Councillors say the prospect of new jobs is "good news" in the midst of the pandemic

A new shopping arcade offering more than 100 jobs has been given the go-ahead by Carmarthenshire councillors.

The £3m Y Linc scheme, hailed in a report as being "transformative" for Llanelli, will connect Market Street with East Gate and Stepney Place.

New bars, restaurants, offices and serviced accommodation are planned.

Planning committee chairman Alun Lenny said: "In these dire days, the project creation of at least 100 jobs is good news indeed."

Applicant Cygnus Holdings Ltd already has approval to demolish the former nightclubs and vacant pubs at the site.

A number of long-closed pubs and clubs will make way for the new arcade

A planning officer said the application had been referred to the committee for determination because of three objections and the fact the county council had a "significant financial interest" in the scheme.

The objectors were concerned about the loss of the Dynevor Castle and Black Lion pubs, and felt the project had little regard for the adjacent Grade II-listed Exchange Buildings.

• March celebrates town centre revamp

• Victorian railway goods shed to be restored

• Mixed emotions as last families leave 1960s flats

The planning officer said the application did not require a heritage impact assessment or architectural statement, adding that while the pubs had some "historical context" they had been altered and had also been vacant for "some considerable time".

He said the planning department felt the development would also improve the setting of the Exchange Buildings.

A report said flood-resilient design measures would be included, as a small part of the site was in a flood zone, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.