Tesco are bringing a new store to Burry Port and could be opening for Christmas 2012.
Development of the new food store will guarantee scores of jobs for the seaside community, Carmarthenshire’s third largest township.
There was interest from a number of stores in the Llanelli Waterside Joint Venture land known as the Fairground Field. It lies behind the Neptune Hotel and Burry Port Harbour.
The development size is nearly 24,000sq ft with a promised 145 car parking spaces and there are design conditions to tie in with existing and neighbourhood development.
The food store will include ATM provision and pedestrian access provided to the west and north.
Contracts have yet to be exchanged on the deal but the capital receipts received for the Joint Venture land will be ring fenced for projects within the Joint Venture boundary.
The joint Venture is a partnership between the County Council and Welsh Assembly to help best promote the regeneration of Llanelli Waterside which extends through to Burry Port.
County executive board member for Regeneration and leisure services Cllr Clive Scourfield said: “This development has been promised for many years. It is good to see progress that will help enrich the community of Burry Port.”
The town’s county councillors Pat Jones and Stephen James have supported the proposals and are delighted with the news recommended by the county’s executive board last week.
Cllr Jones said: “The benefits to the community will be far reaching and we are excited that this development will help deliver other community projects within the town.”
Cllr James said: “This has been a long time coming and Burry Port deserves a development that will serve the community with an enhanced shopping opportunity and scores of jobs that will be welcomed.”
The land itself has been the site of travelling fairgrounds to Burry Port and principally to Casey’s fair which was visiting the site in the 1820’s. The only building that has occupied the land which was on the edge of the former Marcroft Wagon Works was the former Great Western Railways Institute which was used for railway workers functions and also doubled as the community’s scout hall.
