Llanelli Train Station Shared Vision Meeting

This meeting was organised by South West Wales Connected, the new community rail partnership hosted by 4theRegion & Transport for Wales. Our role is then to support, facilitate and and help to take forward the ideas that emerge from these conversations, so that things start happening on the ground. 

Event Overview

Our Llanelli Shared Vision Meeting took place on the 3rd December 2020, with an additional meeting taking place the week after on the 12th December. The purpose of our shared vision meetings is to engage with the local community and co-create a new vision for the station and the surrounding area.

Our Llanelli Shared Vision Meeting included quick updates from the following people and organisations:

• Laura Aitchison, Team Lead – Housing Options & Chair of Tyisha Community Engagement plan for Carmarthenshire County Council
• David Darkin, Managing Director, Darkin Architects on Y Linc, Llanelli Town Centre development
• Dr. Sharon Burford, Swansea Bay City Region Project Manager for Pentre Awel
• Thomas Evans, Transport Planner – Strategy and Infrastructure at Carmarthenshire County Council, discussing active travel routes
• Marie Turke, Treasurer & Co-founder of Incredible Edible Carmarthenshire discussing community food growing and ideas for unused land
• Eleanor Shaw – Llanelli People Speak Up

Current Actions

Marie Turke | Treasurer & Co-founder of Incredible Edible Carmarthenshire discussing community food growing and ideas for unused land

• Background to IE Carms provided, currently transitioning to become a CIC. Existing community spaces in Burry Port and a herb garden on the harbour.
• Maggie has recently started an Incredible Seed Library
• Local schools and colleges already work with IE along with Mens Shed and a collaboration with the Deaf Centre
• IE helped with the ‘Back to Basics’ initiative
• IE have aspirations that include: chalet, raised beds housed within a polytunnel, raised pond (mental grid on top) with sloping sides and a sensory area to sit and relax with scented/climbing plants
• Aim to bring gardening and growing to new people  

Thomas Evans | Transport Planner – Strategy and Infrastructure at Carmarthenshire County Council, discussing active travel routes

• The railway line severs the links
• Aspirations to build a bridge over the railway line
• Also improve active travel links with the Good Shed
• Direct active travel links with the school and onwards to the Wellness Village

Eleanor Shaw | Artistic Director, Peoplespeakup

• People Speak Up is currently housed within Fferness Fach (part of Zion Chapel)
• The building is shared with other artists
• PSU are working with the people of the town
• Eleanor shared a film made last year (pre Covid), currently working with young people of the town
• PSU activities were all digital within 2 weeks of the Covid outbreak
• Initiatives include storytelling by phone and creative writing, door step visits 
• Current bid with Arts Centre to take over a shop front in centre of town – to have more of a visual presence 
• Speak up “Travelling spot” transported around
• PSU know what people ‘on the ground’  want

Emerging Ideas

• Community Ambassadors 
• Community space for Young People 
• Signposting to active travel routes and transport links 
• Station experience – a choir or piano 
• Increase the profile of the shopping experience in Llanelli 
• Encouraging tourism
• Community Gardens 
• Increase safety – lighting, cameras
• Create a sense of community: 
  • Art,
  • Sea to station 
  • Housing on station road
  • Engagement, empowerment and follow up 
  • Action 
  • Reasons to go there 
  • A sense of place  
• People’s Gallery – use the station for displaying art in the train station produced by local schools, groups or artists 
• Produce showcase cabinet in the station 
• Kind words – Instagram moments 
• Promotion  of the Coffee Pot – good coffee 
• Increased involvement with veterans 
• Use for vacant properties

Community Action

Contact

With all the interaction and energy there was simply too much to cover in a single meeting, so we will regroup again to discuss next steps for taking things forward. 

Please get in touch if you would like to be included as our Llanelli projects emerge and move forward – everyone is welcome and everyone has a valuable contribution to make.  Please email zoe@4theregion.com and jennifer@southwestwales.co for more details.