First Businesses Move In To New Parry Thomas Centre

The finishing touches are being put on a new tea room at Pendine’s seafront as part of the new Parry Thomas Commercial Centre, which has just been completed. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tea by the Sea will be the first of five businesses to move into the centre, and will be open to customers within a few weeks. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The development of the £1million two storey building at the popular coastal resort was supported by £300,000 of Big Lottery Funding. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The Parry Thomas centre is located next to Pendine’s new promenade and will house four kiosk-style business units on the ground floor and a larger commercial premises on the first floor, along with new public toilets and external showers for beach users. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Tea by the Sea successfully secured £12,559 from the Carmarthenshire Rural Enterprise Fund (CREF) and will be creating five full-time jobs. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

CREF is a £2m capital fund that aims to assist rural businesses in Carmarthenshire with the development of new or improved businesses where jobs are created. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Three more businesses are also seeking financial assistance from the Rural Enterprise Fund, with hopes of a further 11 jobs being created. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Carmarthenshire County Council’s executive board member for regeneration and leisure, Cllr Meryl Gravell, said: “The key objective of the Parry Thomas Centre was to intensify and diversify economic activity within the village to help attract more visitors and encourage them to stay longer and visit again. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I’m pleased that the CREF Scheme has been able to support these businesses. It will be fantastic to see this landmark building in use. This scheme not only brings jobs into the rural areas but it’s helping to create fantastic facilities for locals and visitors to enjoy, making the coast a desirable place to live, work and visit.”
Since 2010, Carmarthenshire County Council has been working on a regeneration master-plan to address the physical and commercial decline of the coastal resort of Pendine. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The next phase of the masterplan is being developed with a view to bringing forward the Pendine Land Speed Cultural Centre and Eco Resort Complex, a £15million project and one of Carmarthenshire’s biggest grant funded projects.
It is hoped this will deliver an additional economic boost to the regional economy of £7.35million a year. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​