CWMAMAN DESERVES BETTER

Cwmaman Town Council is asking residents and supporters to sign this petition calling upon Carmarthenshire County Council to take appropriate action to secure a safe and permanent resolution for the privately owned former Workmen's Hall and adjoining shop in Garnant.

The buildings are privately owned and have remained in a severely deteriorated and derelict condition for a considerable period.

Their condition has caused significant concern within the community regarding public safety, the appearance and amenity of the area, and the continuing impact of a prominent derelict site in Garnant.

The former Workmen's Hall has an important place in the social history of the community. However, the building is not listed and the current campaign is not seeking an unrealistic heritage restoration. The priority is to achieve a safe, lawful and permanent solution for the site.

The site has previously received planning permission for a substantial care-home/residential development involving more than 70 units.

Information obtained through Freedom of Information procedures has also confirmed that Carmarthenshire County Council has spent more than £81,000 of public money in connection with essential safety works at this privately owned property.

Despite previous redevelopment proposals and substantial intervention using public money, the site remains unresolved.

 

We, the undersigned, call upon Carmarthenshire County Council to:

1. Confirm the current structural and public-safety position regarding the former Workmen's Hall and adjoining shop.
2. Take any further action considered necessary to ensure that the buildings and surrounding site do not present an unacceptable risk to members of the public, neighbouring properties, pedestrians or highway users.
3. Consider all statutory enforcement powers reasonably available in relation to dangerous, ruinous, dilapidated or seriously detrimental buildings and land.
4. Require the private owners, wherever legislation permits, to take appropriate action to deal with the condition of the properties.
5. Where owners fail to comply with lawful requirements, consider whether the County Council should exercise appropriate default powers and pursue recovery of resulting costs.
6. Establish a clear route towards a permanent solution for the buildings and site, including demolition and clearance where this is professionally determined to be necessary, appropriate and lawful.
7. Confirm the current status of the previous planning permission for the substantial care-home/residential redevelopment of the site.
8. Confirm whether Carmarthenshire County Council has engaged with the private owners regarding implementation, variation or replacement of the previous planning consent, or another viable development proposal capable of bringing the site back into safe and beneficial use.
9. Provide Cwmaman Town Council and the local community with a clear written action plan explaining what steps are being taken and how the matter will be progressed.
10. Provide a transparent update on the public money already spent on the properties, including the total amount spent, the amount recoverable from the private owners, the amount recovered to date, any outstanding balance and what further recovery action is being undertaken.

Cwmaman Town Council will use the personal information provided on this form for the administration, verification and submission of this petition. Personal addresses, contact details and signatures will not be published publicly. Information may be provided to Carmarthenshire County Council where this is necessary for the formal submission or verification of the petition. Please refer to Cwmaman Town Council's Privacy Notice for further information about how the Council handles personal information.