Nightspots close their doors for good as site is set for regeneration
IT’S the end of an era in Llanelli.
The doors of The Jail House and Bar Luna nightspots in Llanelli are shutting for good.
The site has been home to some of the best-loved names in Llanelli’s nightlife history – Tom Pepper’s, The Shaker, Storm, Zenon and The Moonraker.
Bar Luna, which had been due to close last October, had its final night on Saturday.
Now plans are in place to shut The Jail House on the same site from Thursday.
Clive Brookfield said the closing party at Bar Luna was filled with decades of dancefloor classics to give revellers a sense of nostalgia.
A special extended licence was put into place so people could party and celebrate their special memories.
Clive said: “Bar Luna officially closed its doors for the last time this Saturday.
“Although we thought the final night was back in October (Halloween), the purchasing deal fell through. But now the building has been purchased for the town development and it will no longer be a nightclub.
“The Jail House will be open until Thursday, then that’s a wrap!”
He added: “We would like to thank you wonderful people for all your custom from over the years and we hope you have had some wonderful memories that will stay with you forever starting with the Zenon/ Moonraker/storm and Bar Luna.”
The club was hit during the pandemic as a result of rising costs and the impact of restrictions.
Clive, who has worked at the club for 44 years, previously said: “When you have 100 people in a big venue like that, it doesn’t look good. DJS command more money these days – and the doormen – so we’re losing money on it. So we’re going to shut Bar Luna.”
He added: “We’ve seen all good times, many people have met their partners there and we’ve had good acts over the years.
“When the Covid has come in now, we’ve been shut for a year and people have found alternative ways. People got bars in their house and garage and the crowds aren’t out anymore.
“Going back 15 years ago on a Saturday night in Llanelli you’d have 2,500 people out. I don’t think you’ve got 200 people out anymore.”
The town-centre site, which sits between the St Elli shopping centre, the Eastgate development and the Stepney Street town centre, will now form part of a £3m regeneration scheme.
The scheme, by Cygnus Holdings (Llanelli) Ltd, is named Y Linc as it will connect the town centre to Eastgate with walkways and provide new restaurants, apartments and offices to the people of Llanelli, with brands such as Juniper Place and Old Havana due to take up units at the development.
The scheme, which has been backed by the Welsh Government, has been designed by the town’s Darkin Architects and will see the former Tom Pepper’s nightclub and Captain Nemo pubs demolished and a new development built on the site covering 8-16 Market Street, if planning permission is approved.
David Darkin, owner of Darkin Architects, personally designed the scheme and said the project has been a labour of love for him for the past year.
Mr Darkin, who is also president of Llanelli Chamber of Trade and Commerce and a former mayor of the town, said: “As someone from Llanelli, this scheme is close to my heart and to have been able to design it and meet the needs of what I think Llanelli needs is great.
“It shows that people are looking to the future and investment in Llanelli town centre.
“If all goes well with the planning, the aim is to get this built next year.”
Asbri Planning Ltd has been commissioned by Cygnus Holdings (Llanelli) Ltd to undertake a pre-application consultation in respect of the proposed demolition of existing buildings.
A design and access statement relating to the scheme said: “The development proposals are of significant scale and have the potential to result in a notable enhancement to the town centre in respect of both environmental and economic considerations.”
It adds: “The existing buildings, especially the nightclub buildings, have little architectural merit. While the former pub is more aesthetically pleasing, it has been vacant for a significant length of time and its condition has deteriorated as a result.
“The large public realm area between the current entrance of the Sports Direct store and the Eastgate development is currently unused, and the spill-out from the active frontage proposed as part of this development will enhance this public realm in appearance and purpose.”