Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

  The team behind the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project held a very successful fundraising Curry Night at the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli. The restaurant is just across the railway tracks from the proposed £2.2m development in Marsh Street. Goods Shed project officer Robert Lloyd said: “This was the third annual fundraising Curry Night and was a great success, raising more than £700 towards the project. “The evening was marked by a project update speech by our Trust chairman Nia Griffith MP and attended by civic dignitaries representing Llanelli Town Council, Llanelli Rural Council and Carmarthenshire County Council. “One of our trustees, the Rev Eldon Phillips, conducted an auction of artwork and photographic memorabilia. The photos were supplied by well-known local photographers Alan Evans and Byron Williams. “Among the high earners in the auction were a watercolour of the Gower by celebrated Llanelli artist Denise di Battista and a ‘curiosity’ item of an ...

The team behind the ambitious Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project is planning a major consultation event. The free event is aimed at stakeholders - people and organisations interested in playing an active role in the next stage of the project. "In recent weeks, we have been successful in gaining planning permission and Listed Building permissions for the iconic Grade II Listed building," said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust chairman Nia Griffith MP. "We have carried out a huge amount of development work, including architectural proposals, business plans, heritage work and activity plans. "But the project is moving into a new phase as we build alliances and partnerships with the community at large. "Already, we have had interest from people who want to use the site in Marsh Street - interest from businesses, community groups, organisations and individuals. "Now we have to build formal partnership agreements with our key stakeholders...

The ambitious Llanelli Goods Shed project has taken another giant step forward. Planning permission and Listed Building Consent has been granted for the Grade II historic building. “It’s another significant move along the tracks for the project,” said the chairman of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust, Llanelli MP Nia Griffith. “Over the course of the last two years we have been rewarded with more than £100,000 of development cash from different grant funders. “That money has been put to good use and has enabled us to carry out a whole range of site surveys and progress our planning application. “Our architects, Davies Sutton, of Cardiff, are recognised as one of the finest in the UK in the field of renovating historical buildings. “The Goods Shed building in Marsh Street is currently derelict, but Davies Sutton have developed innovative and creative plans to transform a building which was built in 1875 and is a classic example of the Brunel style of architecture.” The Goods Sh...

A fundraising Curry Night for the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project raised more than £1000. The evening at the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli, saw a fundraising auction which included artwork focussed on the Llanelli coastline and souvenirs from the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games. “It was a very successful evening and the total raised hit £1074,” said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust project officer Robert Lloyd. “Everyone enjoyed the occasion and our trustee the Rev Eldon Phillips dressed up as Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the occasion. “It was very appropriate to have the event at the Ali Raj, which is just the other side of the tracks to the Goods Shed site in Marsh Street.” The Goods Shed project aims to save and restore the derelict Grade II Listed railway station building (built in the Brunel style in 1875) and bring it back into life as a dynamic multi-purpose hub for the community. “The project is moving on at some pace now as we have completed a ...

Photos from Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust Curry Night. Check out the album link below. https://goo.gl/photos/4gACYi3HmVU7T75p8

Series of meetings today at the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed site in Marsh Street, Llanelli.

The Nia Griffith MP column in this week's Llanelli Star - Real buzz about the Railway Goods Shed  Sometimes, a meeting goes well and you get a real buzz: that's how it was last Friday when representatives of local organisations came together to pool ideas on their vision of how the former Llanelli Railway Goods Shed could be transformed into a vibrant community hub, offering a whole range of activities and appealing to a wide cross section of the population. Many of you will have passed by the building in question, which is situated to the east of Llanelli railway station behind grey Network Rail railings extending along Marsh Street. It is a Grade II Listed building, but sadly, in recent years, it has fallen into disrepair. Now, however, after hard work by our Trustees and our project officer, who is funded by the Architectural Heritage Trust and Carmarthenshire County Council, we have received development grants both from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery CAT2 ...

The team behind the ambitious Llanelli Railway Goods Shed project has embarked on a new wave of public consultation events. The programme kicked off with a meeting of community groups interested in using the building. Over coming weeks, there will be leaflet drops for residents living close to the Marsh Street Goods Shed building, community surveys, a public display in Llanelli town centre and further group meetings for interested individuals, community organisations, social enterprises and businesses.. “The dialogue with the public is being cranked up to a whole new level,” said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust project officer Robert Lloyd. “We are slap bang in the middle of what we call our development phase, conducting the site surveys and other preparatory work needed before we can complete further applications for capital funding. “The key message we want to get across is that this is a project designed to breathe new life into what is an historic building. Getting the suppo...

It promises to be a great year for 16 projects across Wales, as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced awards worth over £3.5million. From Anglesey to Aberystwyth, Pembrokeshire to Pontypridd, groups are celebrating their funding success. Capturing the stories of South Wales miners, regenerating an important maritime town, unlocking the secrets of a treasured community collection and extending a local museum to attract more visitors are just some of the activities that will benefit from this latest round of National Lottery money. The legacy of the mines Mining has played a vital role in Welsh heritage and volunteers at the South Wales Miners’ Museum are leading a project that will look at the social history and legacy of the coal industry in the Afan and Llynfi valleys. Local young people will become actively involved through placements and training while students are also set to benefit from the museum’s active involvement in the Welsh Baccalaureate. Mair Boast from the m...

Transforming old railway buildings into community spaces and creating facilities for maritime history, business and sports are among projects sharing in £317,440 of grants from the Big Lottery Fund. The money, from the £9 million Community Asset Transfer 2 Programme (CAT2), aims to provide both capital and revenue funding to support the transfer of assets, such as land and buildings to community ownership. The assets can be transferred from individuals, the public or private sector. Seven initial grants of up to £50,000 each are helping projects develop their ideas before being invited to submit developed applications to the second stage of funding with the aim of securing grants of between £300,000 and £1,150,000. ( Read full project descriptions here ). Porthcawl Harbourside CIC will spend £50,000 to progress plans to transfer harbour side land from Bridgend Council and build a five-storey maritime centre. This will be a visitor attraction with a focus on coastal science, mari...

A fundraising Curry Night for the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust project raised £1400. The event was held at the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli, and was hosted by Llanelli MP Nia Griffith, chairman of the Trust, and the Rev Eldon Phillips, one of the trustees. "The response from the public and supporters of the trust was magnificent," said Trust secretary Richard Roper. "We are very grateful to the Ali Raj restaurant and prize and raffle donors for making it such a successful night." Rev Eldon Phillips  dressed up as Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the occasion. The event was also attended by civic dignitaries, including the Mayor of Llanelli Shahana Najmi. Auction items included a stunning painting of Carningli by award-winning artist Vicki Cooke and a very unusual 'photograph through a bottle', taken by Llanelli Photographic Society member Alun Lewis. "It was a fun night," said Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust project ...

THE Digger moved in to the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed site in Marsh Street, Llanelli, for some early site clearance works. The mechanical excavator was needed to clear bushes, shrubs and undergrowth from the site as work continued to assess the area, “It wasn’t the start of any proper work on site,” said Llanelli railway Goods Shed Trust secretary Richard Roper. “It was, instead, some very practical work to find out more about what was lying underneath all the shrubs, brambles and other material. “We were grateful for the cooperation of Network Rail to carry out the works - and we were also very grateful to Parker Plant Hire for lending us the digger. “As we move forward with plans for the site, we were keen to get a better appraisal of the land around the site. “Pulling the digger in allowed us to get a better appraisal of the old road, path and railway line structures, other pieces of platform and other outlying buildings. “The site is a fascinating one to explo...

The first Open Day at Llanelli’s ambitious Goods Shed project was a huge success. St Barnabas Hall was full for a consultation meeting about the plans for the derelict Llanelli Railway Goods Shed building in nearby Marsh Street. And, despite the wild and windy weather, enthusiastic supporters of the project joined special guided tours of the site – the first time in years the public has been allowed access inside. “The day was a great success and you couldn’t fail to be impressed with the interest and the enthusiasm shown by the local community,” said Goods Shed project officer Robert Lloyd. “All those who took part in the tours were surprised at the scale of the project. We now aim to build on the renewed interest in the site and accelerate the plans to refurbish and develop the Goods Shed, a Grade II Listed building of great historical importance.” The Open Day was held just days after the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust charity secured a licence agreement with Network Rail to ac...

LLANELLI MP Nia Griffith has appealed for the public to turn out for the consultation day being held on Saturday for the Railway Goods Shed in Marsh Street, Llanelli. The consultation day offers a rare opportunity to look around the inside of the derelict Grade II Listed building. "The project to breathe new life into the old goods shed building is one of the most exciting independent schemes for Llanelli," said Ms Griffith, who is chair of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust, the charity behind the project. "The plans to bring the building back into community use include everything from creating arts and crafts venues, offices for start-up businesses and social enterprises. The site lends itself to a whole host of uses, both indoor and outdoor and this is a project where we want all the community to get involved with their ideas." The consultation day is based around an exhibition starting at 10pm at St Barnabas Hall, just a short walk away from the go...

The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust’s first fundraising evening was a great success. More than £900 was raised on the evening - thanks to ticket sales, a raffle and an auction. The evening was hosted by Nia Griffith MP, Roger Price, Mayor of Llanelli, and the Reverend Eldon Phillips. Eldon dressed up as Isambard Kingdom Brunel for the occasion. The venue was the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli. Plans for the regeneration of the Grade II listed goods shed building are moving ahead, with an application for funds now being considered by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Proposals for the building near Llanelli Railway Station involve establishing a multi-purpose community hub to include arts facilities, a cafe and a heritage centre. Website - http://www.llanellirailwaygoodsshedtrust.org.uk/

The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust has appointed a project officer to help take plans for the Grade II listed building to the next stage. Robert Lloyd has been appointed to the temporary post of project officer and started working for the trust earlier this month. The project aims to redevelop the derelict goods shed and adjoining land and old offices to create a new facility which will be of great benefit to the local community. Plans for the site near Llanelli Railway Station include a community hub, arts centre, workshops, offices, café and heritage centre. Llanelli MP Nia Griffith, who chairs the trust, said: " I am absolutely delighted that Robert Lloyd has agreed to take on the job of project officer for the former goods shed. "We had a very strong field of candidates to choose from, and I have every confidence that Robert's wealth of experience and his immediate grasp of the challenges we face will be a real boost to helping us get the goods shed ...

Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust is inviting supporters to a fund-raising Curry Night. The evening will be hosted by Nia Griffith MP, Roger Price, Mayor of Llanelli, and Reverend Eldon Phillips on Monday, 29th September. The venue is the Ali Raj restaurant in Trinity Road, Llanelli. The evening starts at 7pm and will feature a raffle. Tickets, price £12, are available from Robert Lloyd, email rlloydpr@btinternet.com or telephone 07777 683637.

The trust in charge of plans to develop Llanelli’s historic Railway Goods Shed will be showcasing the project at the Carmarthenshire National Eisteddfod in Llanelli. The Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust is bidding to restore and redevelop the derelict Grade II listed building near the town’s railway station Plans for the shed site currently include a community hub, arts centre, workshops, offices and a café and heritage centre. The trust will be staging an exhibition of the latest proposals for the site at the CAVS (Carmarthenshire Association for Voluntary Services) stand at the Eisteddfod Maes at Festival Fields. The display will be staged on Tuesday, August 5, and Wednesday, August 6. Trust secretary Richard Roper said: “There has been a great deal of groundwork on the project since we set up on trust in 2011. We are now moving to the stage where we will be making some exciting announcements on the future of the project. “This is a journey where we need the support of the people ...

Carmarthenshire’s Leader has given his full support to a new arts project for Llanelli. Cllr Kevin Madge said the plans by the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed Trust would be a valuable contribution to the regeneration of the area. The Trust was set up in 2011 with the aim of restoring the shed and bringing it back into use for the benefit of the community. The shed, which is one of the few remaining examples of its kind in the country, serves as a reminder of Llanelli's heyday as an industrial centre. The building and surrounding land is large enough to accommodate a mix of uses. Cllr Madge said: “The building, which was erected in 1875, is large enough to accommodate an area in which to celebrate its unique history, together with the industrial heritage of Llanelli. “The project will therefore incorporate a heritage area, linked to a cafe area, which can be used by groups such as school parties, as well as individual users of the centre. “This in turn could be part of a trail incor...