The former Wilko store at Friars Park in Carmarthen is set to be demolished as part of a Welsh Government-funded redevelopment of the site and its surrounding car park.
CARMARTHENSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL’S Cabinet approved the proposals at a meeting on Monday, July 27, describing the decision as the next stage in the regeneration of the prominent town-centre site.
The scheme will involve demolishing the vacant retail building and redeveloping the adjoining 250-space car park, which the council says no longer meets modern standards or the expectations of people using it.
The work is expected to cost approximately £2.5 million and will be funded entirely through the Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns programme, meaning there will be no direct financial cost to Carmarthenshire County Council.
A council assessment found that bringing the former store back into use would have cost around £1 million, largely because of significant work required to its roof. The authority said the building had now reached the end of its usable life.
The council owns the freehold of the Friars Park site and acquired the leasehold interest in the former supermarket building in 2024.
Cllr Hazel Evans, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, said: “Cabinet’s decision to approve the redevelopment of the Friars Park site is an important first step in creating a more attractive town centre asset which meets modern needs.
“Carmarthenshire County Council will submit a Notice of Demolition in the coming days.”
Council officers are continuing discussions with parties interested in the future use of the site, although no formal agreement has yet been reached.
Businesses at the neighbouring Merlin’s Walk shopping centre will be kept informed as plans progress, with councillors acknowledging that careful management will be required to minimise disruption to traders, residents and people using the car park.
The store has stood empty since Wilko collapsed and closed its Carmarthen branch in 2023. Before Wilko, the building was occupied by Tesco, which moved to its current location beside Carmarthen Park in 2006.
Further details about the redevelopment, including the timetable for demolition and the proposed layout of the improved car park, are expected to be released as the project progresses.
