Buildings across Carmarthenshire have been restored under a £2.5 million enhancement scheme.

Rundown buildings have been completely transformed and major works have been carried out to improve shop fronts.

Dozens of businesses in all corners of the county have benefited from grant aid, with schemes ranging from Laugharne and Hebron in the west, to Newcastle Emlyn in the north and Llangadog in the east.

A luxury bed and breakfast, an animal behaviour centre, a micro brewery and a complementary therapy centre are among those to have benefitted.

Thirty one grants have been approved and around 95 jobs created, under the Physical Grants for Growth scheme run by Carmarthenshire County Council.


The Objective One funded project, which has just come to an end, has seen a massive investment in towns and villages across the county in recent years.

The council's Project Manager Vivienne Davies said: "The aim of the Physical Grants for Growth programme has been to assist the physical and economic regeneration of Carmarthenshire and it has proved very popular with business owners.

"The grants have helped to bring many redundant and disused buildings back into business use, and have led to economic benefits across the county."

Under the programme, conversion grants were offered to bring redundant rural buildings back into use, and town improvement grants were given to enhance towns and villages through new shop fronts.

It has helped to improve the appearance of buildings in towns across the county, which has acted as a catalyst for further business investment.

The programme is due to be replaced later this year by a new conversion grants scheme which has received funding from the Rural Development Fund.

(CD/JM)