London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, May 31, 2025

Carmarthen: What do you do with an empty department store?

Carmarthen: What do you do with an empty department store?

In 2010, Carmarthen welcomed a new £74m flagship Debenhams store in the St Catherine's Walk shopping centre.

Just 11 years later - last May - it closed, leaving a 6,000 sq m void in the centre of the town.

But after securing a total of £18.5m in funding, the old shop will be turned into a centre for the council, health board and cultural services.

Wales' Deputy Climate Change Minister, Lee Waters, said the move was "absolutely the right idea".

Mr Waters said out-of-town shopping, supermarkets, online shopping and the Covid pandemic had created a "cocktail" for town centres to struggle.

According to Audit Wales, one in seven shops in the country were empty, and Mr Waters said town centres needed to become places where people "meet, play, work and where we do a whole range of accessing services".

The old Debenhams store will become the Carmarthen Hwb (Hub) and will house a gym, some of the county's museum collection and a welcome centre for tourists.

It is hoped work will be completed by spring 2024.

The store was spread over 6,000 sq m, meaning there is plenty of space for several different uses in future


A total of £15m of funding has come from the UK government, with a further £3.5m from Carmarthenshire council.

Emlyn Dole, the council's leader, said he hoped the new centre would increase footfall as big shops "were not coming back".

Dr Edward Jones, an economics lecturer at Bangor University, said changes to the high street had been accelerated by the Covid pandemic.

He said: "It's going to be a very different high street to what we're used to.

"Even before the pandemic, we saw them [large chain stores] dwindling and during the pandemic, that accelerated.

"There is a place for them, but that's more likely to be on the outskirts of towns. That's why we have this challenge about what do with our high streets, and getting people back in to the high street."

Rhian Matthews, of Hywel Dda health board, says a range of clinics could be run from the new centre


The project is being developed in partnership with Hywel Dda health board and University of Wales Trinity St David (UWTSD).

The health board's Rhian Matthews said the new centre could be used for outpatient clinics.

She said the aim was to provide "a range of clinics" at the Hwb, where a lifelong learning centre is also planned.

Gwilym Dyfri Jones, provost of UWTSD, said: "We're an anchor institution in the town of Carmarthen and we should be here right at the centre of town.

"We can support the economic, cultural and social regeneration of the town. We'd like to work with the local business community in particular to ensure that the local population have the relevant skills to enable the town to grow during this post-Covid period."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
Labour MPs Urge Chancellor to Tax Wealthy Over Cutting Welfare
Publication of UK Child Poverty Strategy Delayed Until Autumn
France Detains UK Fishing Vessel Amid Post-Brexit Tensions
Calls Grow to Resume Syrian Asylum Claims in UK
Nigel Farage Pledges to Reinstate Winter Fuel Payments
Boris and Carrie Johnson Welcome Daughter Poppy
×