Practical proposed steps for Carmarthenshire.
The stages explain what should happen first. They are not promised completion dates. Funding, powers and ongoing costs need to be established before a proposal is adopted.
Proposal
A major facility is already open
Pentre Awel has a verified public-opening date.
Proposed response: Make its services practical for residents across its catchment.
Evidence
Who could lead: Carmarthenshire County Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Publish activity, price and travel information.
- Medium term
Check uptake and barriers with local users.
- Long term
Adapt provision around demonstrated needs.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Canolfan Pentre Awel: Opened to the public on 15 October 2025
Measure: Accessible sessions and sustained use.
Trade-off: A county facility still requires transport and affordable charges.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Canolfan Pentre Awel →
Proposal
The Friars Park site still needs a settled purpose
Demolition approval does not settle the replacement use.
Proposed response: Test deliverable uses before leaving a prolonged gap.
Evidence
Who could lead: Carmarthenshire County Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Publish the site constraints and clearance plan.
- Medium term
Compare future uses and interim arrangements.
- Long term
Track a funded replacement through occupation.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Former Wilko site at Friars Park: Cabinet approved demolition on 27 July 2026
Measure: Time from clearance to useful occupation.
Trade-off: Interim use may compete with later development.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Former Wilko site at Friars Park →
Proposal
Use completed reuse to improve later grants
Tŷ Glo is a named example of a vacant building returning to use.
Proposed response: Use practical lessons when judging other town-centre applications.
Evidence
Who could lead: Carmarthenshire County Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Record what made the conversion viable.
- Medium term
Check demand and running costs in new applications.
- Long term
Follow funded premises through to sustained use.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Tŷ Glo property reuse: Completed reuse reported in the July 2026 funding update
Measure: Premises remaining occupied after support.
Trade-off: Grants cannot replace reliable customer demand.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Tŷ Glo property reuse →
Proposal
Opening a building does not prove wider outcomes
The Pentre Awel announcement confirms an opening, not all forecast economic benefits.
Proposed response: Check health, access and employment outcomes separately.
Evidence
Who could lead: Carmarthenshire County Council with the named delivery partners.
- Short term
Publish the measures and starting position.
- Medium term
Report operating costs and service use.
- Long term
Compare results with the original aims.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Canolfan Pentre Awel: Opened to the public on 15 October 2025
Measure: Measured outcomes and running costs.
Trade-off: Attributing wider change to one project is difficult.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Canolfan Pentre Awel →
Proposal
Make room for homes people can afford
Average private rent is £687 a month (August 2026) in Carmarthenshire council area. This is £159 lower than the Wales average for the same month. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.3% in Swiss Valley to 33.8% in Tyisha — a gap of 26.5 percentage points.
Housing costs matter most alongside earnings and the number of affordable homes available. A local average cannot tell us whether a particular household can afford its home.
Who could lead: The housing and planning authorities, housing associations and developers.
- Start now
Publish the local waiting list, temporary accommodation and affordable-home delivery figures together. Start by checking the different needs in Tyisha and Swiss Valley; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test proposed housing sites against affordable-home need, access to work, school places and water capacity.
- Over the longer term
Check whether completed homes reduce unmet need, rather than counting planning permissions as delivery.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Average private rent is £687 a month (August 2026) in Carmarthenshire council area. Homes rented privately ranged from 7.3% in Swiss Valley to 33.8% in Tyisha — a gap of 26.5 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 51 of 51 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Affordable homes completed, households waiting, time in temporary accommodation, and rent compared with local earnings.
Trade-off: More homes can put pressure on infrastructure and land. Affordability requirements also affect development viability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Average monthly rent →
Evidence: Average home price →
Proposal
Plan homes and care around an older population
24.2% of people in Carmarthenshire council area were aged 65 or over (21 March 2021). People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Carmarthen Town West to 32.7% in Swiss Valley — a gap of 18.2 percentage points.
Age alone does not mean poor health or a need for care. Accessible homes, reliable transport and support close to home matter as people get older.
Who could lead: Adult social care, local health services, housing providers and transport authorities.
- Start now
Compare the location of older residents with access to care, shops and transport. Start by checking the different needs in Swiss Valley and Carmarthen Town West; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Prioritise home adaptations and care capacity in places with the clearest unmet need.
- Over the longer term
Build accessible homes and joined-up care into local development plans.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 24.2% aged 65 or over; 21 March 2021. People aged 65 or over ranged from 14.5% in Carmarthen Town West to 32.7% in Swiss Valley — a gap of 18.2 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 51 of 51 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Waits for home adaptations and care, avoidable hospital stays, and accessible homes delivered.
Trade-off: Services need skilled staff and ongoing funding. Age profiles alone cannot measure unmet care need.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 65 or over →
Proposal
Bring support closer to people in poor health
7.5% of people reported bad or very bad health in Carmarthenshire council area (21 March 2021). Across Wales, the figure was 6.9%. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.4% in Llanegwad to 10.9% in Garnant — a gap of 6.6 percentage points.
This is how residents described their health in the census. It can reveal differences between neighbourhoods, but does not diagnose illness or measure current waiting times. Age profiles differ between places, so these shares do not measure service quality.
Who could lead: Local health services, public health teams, employers and community organisations.
- Start now
Use neighbourhood evidence to find where poor health and barriers to services overlap. Start by checking the different needs in Garnant and Llanegwad; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Test accessible local support and publish who is reached and who is missed.
- Over the longer term
Review whether health gaps narrow, alongside housing and employment improvements.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 7.5% reporting bad or very bad health; 21 March 2021. People reporting bad or very bad health ranged from 4.4% in Llanegwad to 10.9% in Garnant — a gap of 6.6 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 51 of 51 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Access to services and the health gap between neighbourhoods, using comparable age-adjusted measures when available.
Trade-off: A census snapshot is dated. New service decisions also need current needs assessments and residents’ experience.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People reporting bad or very bad health →
Proposal
Connect local skills to local opportunities
31.3% of people aged 16 or over had a degree or equivalent (21 March 2021) in Carmarthenshire council area. Across Wales, the figure was 31.5%. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.2% in Hendy to 27.5% in Tyisha — a gap of 13.3 percentage points.
Qualifications show one part of the skills available locally. They do not show whether people have secure jobs or work that uses those skills.
Who could lead: Employers, colleges, universities and the relevant skills authority.
- Start now
Compare vacancies and employer needs with training available to local residents. Start by checking the different needs in Tyisha and Hendy; census differences are not proof of unmet demand.
- Over the next few years
Link training to real jobs, including routes for people without formal qualifications.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained employment and earnings after training, not just course starts.
How to judge progress
Starting point: 31.3% with a degree or equivalent; 21 March 2021. People aged 16+ with no qualifications ranged from 14.2% in Hendy to 27.5% in Tyisha — a gap of 13.3 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 51 of 51 current wards have comparable figures.
Measure: Sustained jobs, earnings and training completion for residents who face barriers to work.
Trade-off: Training takes time and cannot create demand for jobs on its own. Qualifications are not a complete measure of ability.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: People aged 16+ with a degree or equivalent →
Evidence: People aged 16+ with no qualifications →
Canolfan Pentre Awel →
Former Wilko site at Friars Park →
Tŷ Glo property reuse →
Proposal
Target safety work where problems repeat
Mapped police records are available for neighbourhoods in Carmarthenshire council area.
Published locations are approximate and some crimes are not mapped. Counts show recorded incidents, not the chance of an individual becoming a victim.
Who could lead: The local police force, council community safety team and relevant services.
- Start now
Check recurring places and categories alongside local police priorities and residents’ reports.
- Over the next few years
Test focused prevention and support, with a comparison period agreed before the work starts.
- Over the longer term
Publish whether problems fall, move elsewhere or return, and adjust the response.
How to judge progress
Crime evidence and coverage →
Starting point: Use the dated, complete periods shown in Crime and safety; keep anti-social behaviour separate.
Measure: Comparable recorded incidents, repeat victimisation and residents’ reported experience; never a single crude league table.
Trade-off: More reporting can increase recorded crime. Enforcement and support may work differently for different problems.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Proposal
Turn published plans into visible progress
3 named local projects or plans have official evidence in this collection.
A published plan makes responsibilities and intentions easier to inspect. It does not prove that funding is secured or that promised benefits have arrived.
Who could lead: The named project owners and council scrutiny bodies.
- Start now
Put the scope, owner, funding position and next milestone in one public place.
- Over the next few years
Report delivery against the agreed scope and explain delays or changes.
- Over the longer term
Check the benefits residents actually receive after completion.
How to judge progress
Starting point: The dated stages in Projects; unknown costs and funding remain unknown.
Measure: Milestones met, costs against the approved budget, and measured outcomes after delivery.
Trade-off: Delivery reporting takes staff time, but a launch announcement alone cannot show value for money.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Canolfan Pentre Awel →
Former Wilko site at Friars Park →
Tŷ Glo property reuse →
Proposal
Target support where disadvantages overlap
Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12.1% in Manordeilo and Salem to 31.7% in Tyisha — a gap of 19.6 percentage points.
These households met at least two census conditions covering education, employment, health and housing. This is not an income or poverty measure.
Who could lead: The council's housing, public health and employment teams, with local services.
- Start now
Check current advice and support access in Tyisha, using the census pattern as a starting point and asking residents what is missing.
- Over the next few years
Test joined-up housing, work and health support, and publish who takes part, who cannot reach it and what changes.
- Over the longer term
Track sustained outcomes and whether gaps between neighbourhoods narrow, using comparable dates and measures.
How to judge progress
Starting point: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages ranged from 12.1% in Manordeilo and Salem to 31.7% in Tyisha — a gap of 19.6 percentage points. 21 March 2021; 51 of 51 wards.
Measure: Access to support, unresolved housing problems and sustained work or health outcomes. Census percentages alone cannot measure a new programme's success.
Trade-off: Targeting neighbourhoods can miss people in need elsewhere. Avoid labelling every resident by the average for their ward.
Cost: No costed delivery assessment has been established here. These are proposed sequences, not funded promises or completion deadlines.
Evidence: Households facing two or more measured disadvantages →
Canolfan Pentre Awel →
