Regeneration Plans for Tyisha Ward Expected to Progress This Autumn
Plans to regenerate Tyisha, one of the most deprived areas in Carmarthenshire, are expected to move forward this autumn, years after they were first drawn up. Carmarthenshire Council is looking to appoint a development partner to build new homes and upgrade community facilities in the Llanelli ward.
Opposition leader Councillor Deryk Cundy, leader of the Carmarthenshire Labour group, asked the Plaid-Independent administration at a full council meeting when a comprehensive map of the scheme would be available and when work would start and finish. “The redevelopment of Tyisha has been promised for the last 10 years and substantial monies were allocated to the project,” he said.
Council Nearing End of Competitive Dialogue Process
In reply, Plaid cabinet member for homes Councillor Emlyn Schiavone said the authority was nearing the end of a competitive dialogue process and was optimistic of having a preferred partner on board this autumn. “As soon as this process is complete we will be ready to share plans and detailed information immediately,” he said. Providing further information now, he added, would jeopardise the legal process.
The densely-populated Tyisha ward has long been the focus of a wide-ranging council regeneration project called Transforming Tyisha. Key elements include new affordable housing, better facilities, and a cleaner and safer environment. In the early days, the council allocated £9.3 million to the project.
Potential Development Sites and Community Impact
A number of sites within the ward could see new developments, including land off Maes Y Gors, where four council apartment blocks dating from the 1960s were demolished around four years ago. The Tyisha ward sits between Llanelli town centre and a £200 million health, leisure, and life sciences complex called Pentre Awel, which opened last October. Separate plans for a new transport hub at Llanelli railway station in Tyisha were approved last December.
Speaking at a council committee meeting earlier this week, Tyisha councillor Terry Davies praised the regeneration team involved in the project. “I’ve worked with this team from the very beginning and I have seen firsthand the challenges they have faced – poverty, anti-social behaviour, transient tenants, environmental decline, and a community that has become deeply fragile,” he said. “It’s a massive amount of work.”
