THE FUTURE of Carmarthen’s historic Guildhall was among the topics discussed at a public meeting held in the town’s football club on Wednesday evening (Apr 20).
Hosted by Carmarthen Civic Society, the purpose of the meeting was, as one of the organisers put it: “to safeguard the heritage, culture and future of Carmarthen for future generations.”
Almost a hundred people, both individuals and representatives of Carmarthen-based organisations, listened to a brief history of the Civic Society and an update on the progress made by the Town Regeneration Forum, before the evening was thrown open to suggestions from the audience for ways in which different groups could improve what Carmarthen has to offer.
A brief report from a representative of the Civic Society focussed on the progress made since its beginnings in the sixties as a lobby group against the demolition of historic buildings in the town.
While she highlighted the importance of working with the existing fabric of the town – citing Yr Atom as a good example – she stressed that ‘we must not be afraid of change’. This included developments like St Catherine’s Walk and the eagerly-awaited arrival of S4C.
MARKETING AND TOURISM
The aims of the Town Regeneration Forum, which revolve around marketing and tourism; the built environment of Carmarthen, movement and infrastructure within the town, and the commercial aspect, were also discussed, as was the Carmarthen Town Centre Masterplan, which was adopted by Carmarthenshire County Council in 2014.
It was also emphasised that, compared to other similar Welsh towns, Carmarthen was in a strong position, with footfall in King Street measured at over 1.1 million over nine months and a ranking of fourth in a table of Welsh town centres.
However, one of the main purposes of the meeting was to discuss ways in which residents and third-sector organisations could assist the Local Authority – which along with the Town Council was praised for its work in Carmarthen – to meet the aims of the Masterplan, given the current Austerity agenda imposed from elsewhere.
Along with parking issues, the Guildhall was one of the major topics of discussion. In response to a question from the audience relating to its future, a member of the Civic Society referred to an email he had received from the County Council’s Chief Executive, informing him that HM Courts and Tribunal Service had confirmed that the court would be closed in June, and the building would be offered to the public sector before it would be put to public auction.
Cllr Alun Lenny said that the Town Council had already written to the Ministry of Justice to express an interest in the future of the building, and added that the support of the Civic Society would be invaluable come June. He also pointed out that County Council leader Emlyn Dole was ‘on the case’.
SHOULD BE OWNED BY TOWN
It was suggested that a trust be established, to ensure that the building would be owned by the town, and that it would have a sustainable future. Given the Guildhall’s listed interior, encompassing the former Crown Court, one of the main uses suggested was as a museum concentrating on the history of justice in the town.
Parking in ‘pedestrianised’ areas was also a major problem for some, with the Nott Square and Guildhall Square area being cited as a particular example of this. One audience member, who was a Town Council member when the original pedestrianisation plan was passed, said that parking in Nott Square will ‘still go on until council officers monitor traffic wardens.’
It was pointed out that the Masterplan was considering the option of full pedestrianisation for King Street and Nott Square. However, as someone pointed out, the only legitimate exit for traffic from Quay Street is through Nott Square. Full daytime pedestrianisation, with barriers being installed, was considered as an option.
A discussion on the struggle for large religious buildings with ‘dwindling congregations’ led an audience member to enquire about whether churchgoers were ‘still being persecuted by Traffic Wardens’.
A representative of St Peter’s Church said that services had been ‘rejigged’ to avoid people getting parking tickets when the charges began at midday.
In response, CCC Chairman Peter Hughes Griffiths pointed out that the Sunday parking charges had been introduced under the previous administration three years ago, and that the current administration had set a task-and-finish group to reviewing car parking charges across the county. “It is a total mess throughout the county,” he added, remarking that rates, and even the days on which parking was charged, varied widely from town to town.
TOWN NEEDS A BRUSH UP
Bins and general cleanliness of streets were also issues, with one resident criticising Quay Street residents who put out bin bags containing the wrong waste on the wrong days.
She suggested that those found guilty should be fined heavily, and Cllr Lenny pointed out that Environmental Enforcement teams already made efforts to trace flytippers and fine them.
A young Civic Society member stated that around the Jacksons Lane area there were a lot of ‘unsightly’ wheelie bins, and she had started a project to design decorative ‘skirts’ to fit the bins, making them less of an eyesore.
On this note, members of the Town Council said that they were researching the possibility of creating a fenced-off bin store in the area to cut down on the number of visible bins.
Also criticised was the current location of the Tourist Information Centre, especially given that one audience member said that one of the most commonly-asked questions at the old Lammas Street centre was where the castle was located!
However, Cllr Hughes Griffiths said that studies showed ‘nobody walks into tourist offices any more.
“They are closing down everywhere,” he added.
Audience members were encouraged to join the Civic Society, if they had not already done so, and another meeting will be held in the near future.
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