Who’s behind the £200m wellness centre plans?
SION BARRY takes a close look at the proposed Llanelli Wellness and Life Science Village
IT is one of the most ambitious projects ever planned for West Wales, but what is the £200 million Wellness and Life Science Village project in Carmarthenshire?
Well, it is one of the projects that has emerged from the £1.3 billion City Deal, which also includes planned matchfunding, for the Swansea Bay City Region, which is made up of the four local authorities of Swansea, Neath Port Talbot, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.
It is being described by its backers as the “largest ever regeneration project in South West Wales”, which aims to improve the health and wellbeing of people across the region, creating 2,000 highquality jobs and boosting the economy by £467 million over 15 years.
It is made up of:
■ An institute of life sciences with a laboratory and clinic space, as well an incubator facility for business start-ups along with research and development;
■ A wellness hub, incorporating a new “state-of-the-art” sports and leisure centre;
■ A health and wellbeing centre with facilities for education and training;
■ A wellness spa hotel; and
■ An assisted living area.
It is being driven by Carmarthenshire Council, in partnership with Hywel Dda and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg university health boards and Swansea University, at a coastal site in Llanelli called Delta Lakes. In principle it has a £40 million contribution from the City Deal, which if finalised means a further £160 million will have to be raised.
The project backers said: “Private sector finance is required to deliver the vision.
“Swansea University and Sterling Health Security Holdings [the project’s sector partner], along with the consortium partners, will play a major role in raising this money, thanks to their strong links with City of Londonbased financial institutions.
“Swansea University’s extensive research links with leading life science sector companies will also help raise the money that’s needed.”
Sterling Health is registered in London. Its directors include Franz Hermann Dickmann and former leader of Carmarthenshire Council, Meryl Gravell.
The company recently entered into a collaboration agreement, having come through a competitive procurement process, with Carmarthenshire Council and Swansea University.
A keen backer of the project while a councillor, Ms Gravell stood down last year.
Therefore, she is fully entitled to take up roles in the private sector, like with Sterling, who can utilise her expertise and understanding of the workings of local government.
According to Company House records Sterling Health Security Holdings was incorporated in October 2015.
Back in 2016 Carmarthenshire Council entered into a 10-month exclusivity deal with a company called Kent Neurosciences as the project’s development partner. That saw the project’s business case being developed.
Mr Dickmann, of Sterling Health, is a former director of Kent Neurosciences, which was dissolved in May of this year.
It was involved in a private hospital venture in Kent.
The council said: “As part of the procurement process, potential bidders were first asked, via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU), to submit a pre-qualification questionnaire. At that stage, factors including financial assurance and an understanding of the project’s aims and ethos were assessed.
“Numerous parties expressed an interest in the scheme, but only one compliant bid met the required criteria.
“The collaboration agreement that has come from the procurement process is between Carmarthenshire County Council, Swansea University and Sterling Health Security Holdings, within a consortium of partners including leading companies such as Siemens, Fujitsu, Pfizer, Faithful & Gould, David Morley Architects and Medparc.
“This agreement will now require a full detailed business plan for each of the individual elements of the village.”
The council said: “This is a unique project in terms of scale and scope.
“As part of the procurement process we received a series of testimonials about each of the
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- Emlyn Dole This innovative partnership with Swansea University and the private sector is a hugely significant milestone for the Wellness and Life Science Village
individual partners involved in the process.
“These partners included finance, architects, construction experts, leading digital companies and worldrenowned health care companies and clinicians.
“Many individuals within Sterling Health have significant expertise in the design, development and operation of related projects across the health and construction sectors.” On fundraising it added: “As part of the procurement assessment process, Sterling Health Security Holdings had to answer a series of questions about how they proposed to meet the private sector financial requirement.
“Carmarthenshire County Council has held meetings with each of the funders. The next few months will involve further detailed business planning and financial appraisals.”
An outline planning application for the project was submitted in March. Subject to approval, the project is expected to start towards the end of this year.
The first phase of the Wellness and Life Science Village is due to open in early 2021.
This will include a community health hub featuring an institute of life sciences and an institute of innovation. A wellness hub including a leisure centre will also be constructed.
The overall project is expected to be completed in 2023.
The leader of Carmarthenshire Council, Emlyn Dole, said: “This innovative partnership with Swansea University and the private sector is a hugely significant milestone for the Wellness and Life Science Village.
“The collaboration agreement, which follows a rigorous procurement process, is a major step forward for a development that will place Llanelli at the heart of global life science and well-being innovation.
“Alongside the council, Swansea University and Sterling Health will play a major role in the development of this project, complementing the medical expertise being provided by the Hywel Dda and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health boards.
“The importance of the Wellness and Life Science Village can’t be overstated.”
Vice-chancellor of Swansea University, Professor Richard Davies, said: “This collaboration between Carmarthenshire Council, the private sector and Swansea University is ground-breaking in integrating business development, education, healthcare, leisure, tourism, wellness support and research in life sciences in one location.
“The collaboration will strengthen the region’s ability to commercialise research in life science, attract inward investment and increase the export of high-value goods and services.”