Yr Hen Farchnad: Town celebrates Market Hall’s £4m overhaul
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Richard Youle Local Democracy Reporter
It’s been just over a year since a derelict 19th century market hall was brought back to life – and all but one of its 18 units are now let according to the council.
“It has brought such a variety of businesses and I think it has opened up that area of Llandeilo,” said Cllr Edward Thomas. “All in all it’s really positive.”
The building on the corner of Carmarthen Road and New Road dates from the 1830s and was home to manufacturing businesses, an auction house, fire station, and adjoining slaughterhouse at various times before closing its doors in 2002.
Its owner, Carmarthenshire Council, secured planning permission to renovate it four years ago and contractors TRJ completed the work early last summer. The building’s grade two-listed status, Covid interruptions, and soaring materials’ and labour costs made it a challenging proposition and some units were empty when it finally reopened.
Uplift
One of the tenants, Alun Rees, of Llandeilo, remembered when the market hall was occupied by a manufacturing business in the 1990s. Mr Rees trained as a civil engineer and set up a transport planning consultancy called Acstro Ltd in 2008 after years of long commutes to cities including Cardiff and Bristol. He worked from home, apart from a stint in a rented Llandeilo office, and kept a close eye on the market hall project as it got under way.
He rents a first-floor unit in the building, now called Yr Hen Farchnad – The Old Market – and said his business has benefited as a result. “It has increased the profile of the company so much, and we’ve had an uplift in our turnover,” he said. “It’s really interesting the range of businesses here – ones you don’t think would be in a town like this.”
The council’s investment to provide business space was designed to attract jobs and stimulate Llandeilo’s economy, forming part of a wider strategy to rejuvenate 10 rural Carmarthenshire towns.
Another tenant, Diana Pavlova, of family firm Solar Save Renewables, didn’t have office space prior to moving to Yr Hen Farchnad. “It has made our work easier,” she said. “Customers can now come and see an office. We are more recognisable in the area.”
The company designs, supplies, installs and maintains domestic and commercial energy systems such as solar panels, battery storage and electric vehicle charging points. Mrs Pavlova, who has a masters’ degree and lives in the town, said it was a very competitive sector. She added: “We really like this building. It’s a very nice location, there is a meeting area, and customers can come and spend the day in Llandeilo.”
Another tenant, Geoff Mattey, managing director and co-owner of finance broker Axis Leasing, used to rent a premises in Cross Hands nine miles away. “I live in Llandeilo and I saw this development going on,” he said. “The big plus for me is that I can walk to work for the first time in my life. I’ve got beautiful views – it’s great.”
Llywela Jones runs her vegan skincare company Citrine Skincare Ltd from a refurbished market hall outbuilding after relocating from Carmarthen. “It fitted the manufacturing side of my business – it was absolutely perfect,” she said. “Llandeilo is really the place to be.”
She said her products contained no synthetics or water, and were made from ingredients sourced from Wales and sometimes England and Scotland. Miss Jones, who used to work for serial entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, said Citrine Skincare has 10 self-employed sales agents and that this number could increase towards 50 by the end of the year. “We are going into men’s products soon,” she said.
There has been some criticism that the building isn’t more community or retail-focused, and its central atrium can come across as a large empty space.
But photographic, literary, arts and music events have taken place there as well as a six-week pop-up fair from mid-November to Christmas Eve – part of Llandeilo Festival of the Senses – featuring various stalls. Meanwhile in June a two-day food event with a panel of judges took place outside.
Family focused
Cegin Diod, which operates the building’s ground-floor cafe, has arranged Mexican, street food and Louisiana-themed culinary evenings – the latter taking place this Friday and Saturday – to create what cafe owner Lisa Jones described as extra excitement. Mrs Jones said children’s activities also took place in the atrium and that around 120 people attended a choir event there. “I have got young children and want it to be family-focused,” she said.
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Diod’s first cafe was, and remains, in Llandeilo’s Rhosmaen Street and the business now has eight full-time equivalent staff, including Haf Davies, who is back from her first year of a baking science degree at London South Bank University. Haf puts her knowledge to good use, baking pastries, cakes and chocolates once a week for both Diod outlets.
Diod founder Mrs Jones said of Yr Hen Farchnad: “It has given opportunities for businesses to have a space, to expand and become more professional. There is a really strong business community there.”
Yr Hen Farchnad is also home to, among others, an accountancy firm, barber shop, medical device company, and osteopath Sonia Hopwood, of Tywi Motion Osteopathy. She said of the outbuilding in which she is based: “I loved the history and the way it had been renovated. It felt spacious, clean and light, maintaining some original features. It also has wheelchair access which is important. All my patients and clients have commented on how welcoming and professional this space feels.” She added: “I also feel I am part of a small business community which does make a difference when you are a sole trader.”
Jessie Nian, meanwhile, moved her photography business – Jessie Nian Photography – from a shop in Llandeilo to the ground floor of the new-look market hall last summer. “Here I have got a big space, two beautiful windows, and a high ceiling,” she said. “I love it.”
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It amazes me at the amount of money councils can spend on a project that should cost considerably a lot less. £4,000,000 is unbelievable on renovation cost and I am sure the local taxpayer would like to see a detailed breakdown of how the money was spent and who was responsible for giving it the go-ahead and who was given the contract. A builder could erect approximately 25 detached houses at cost price for a lot less than £4m. Someone is ripping off the local taxpayer!! Does anyone working for CCC ever query costs?
The Old Market as its been called for years should not have that much money spent on it, schools and cares homes are more deserving.