The Works: Cultural Powerhouse or White Elephant?
There has been a lot of fuss being made about the "exciting" and "prestigious" but still proposed The Works development down on the Old Castle Works site.
There has been a lot of fuss being made about the “exciting” and “prestigious” but still proposed The Works development down on the Old Castle Works site. The County Council have launched a massive campaign bid to secure millions of pounds of lottery money to build this project. Click here to view the Campaign website.
Money Money Money…
Firstly, there has been lots of activity down on the proposed site. Although we are not yet sure whether the Council will receive the necessary funding to go ahead, they have spend what must be hundreds of thousands, if not millions, preparing the site for construction. They have actually cleared what was a dangerous and fire-prone building but at great expense to the taxpayer.
Potential
The project has attracted a great deal of support from big names such as TV anchor Huw Edwards and others as well as from local institutions Coleg Sir Gâr and Coleg y Drindod Caerfyrddin. This must be a sign that there is a great deal of cultural potential in the project and could help fuel the already bustling creative arts sector in Llanelli. There is no doubt in my mind that such a project, if successful, will provide a huge boost for the youth of Llanelli and Carmarthenshire.
What about our old Entertainment Centre?
The Council has remained extremely tight-lipped about the future of our Llanelli Entertainment Centre. The venue has for a long time screened the most popular films and hosted many different shows. The loss of this facility would be a tragedy, especially when we consider that the largest theatre in “The Works” will not be as large as Theatr Elli. This will prevent the larger and most popular productions visiting Llanelli. It will also be a huge blow for the annual sell-out pantomime produced by the Friendship Theatre Company.
If the Entertainment Centre closes, does the Council assume that a private company will build a Cinema? What will be the effect of the closure of the Entertainment Centre on the already deprived town centre?
Financial Stability
The Council is already planning for the centre to be run by a social enterprise, hereby removing any financial liability from the Council coffers. Although this sounds reasonably sensibly, it gives the impression that this centre will run at a huge loss. There are many factors to consider here, the strengths and the weaknesses. Is this a good idea or not? Will Llanelli benefit?