Healthy role for contractor
Search for firm to start village work
A MAIN contractor is being sought to start work on Llanelli’s multi-million-pound Pentre Awel scheme.
Carmarthenshire Council has gone out to tender to appoint a contractor for zone one of the landmark project which will bring together life science innovation, community healthcare and modern leisure facilities all at one location along the Llanelli coastline.
The scheme is the highest valued tendering opportunity the council has ever published.
As a major capital project, the contractor will be appointed via the South West Wales Regional Contractors Framework.
Significant emphasis has been given to community benefits including recruitment and training, supporting the supply chain and wider community and educational initiatives.
Zone one of the ambitious scheme – anticipated for full completion by the beginning of 2024 – aims to bring together education, business, research, leisure and health in a single building which will be linked together in a ‘street’ layout and connected by a central atrium comprising a reception, café and other public amenities.
The new leisure centre will have state-of-the-art sports and fitness facilities including a 25-metre eight-lane swimming pool, new top-of-therange gym, eight-court sports hall and an adventure play area.
The plans also include incubation and acceleration spaces for that will help research businesses develop innovative healthcare technology, and a clinical research and delivery centre focusing on community level clinical trials, and providing multi-disciplinary care closer to home for a wide range of community-facing services.
A proposed well-being skills centre will provide health and care training, with courses ranging from entry level through to postgraduate, placing students in a clinical setting and focusing on areas where there is a skill shortage.
Council leader Emlyn Dole said: “This is the first step in an extensive procurement exercise for Pentre Awel and I am delighted that after years of planning we are now in a position to deliver this exciting development which will bring huge benefits to the people of Llanelli and Carmarthenshire.
“Both UK and Welsh governments have recently approved the business case which means we can now start to draw down the £40m Swansea Bay City Deal funding to help with its delivery.
“Pentre Awel is the first development of its scope and size in Wales, it will bring a wide range of employment and training opportunities for local people while considerably boosting the local economy.
“This could not have come at a better time as we begin our economic recovery from Covid-19.”
Set within an 83-acre site at Delta Lakes, Pentre Awel is also due to include assisted living accommodation to meet a wide range of care needs, a hotel, and elements of both open market and social and affordable housing which will be delivered in zones two, three and four.