The bill for turning Carmarthen’s old Debenhams into the Atriwm health and leisure centre is now forecast at £41m, more than double the £19m the scheme was budgeted at when it won UK Government Levelling Up funding in 2021.
Carmarthenshire County Council says £4.2m of that is expected to go on fixing structural problems that only came to light once contractors opened parts of the building up during the refurbishment.
The council says an independent survey commissioned before it bought the building found no significant structural issues beyond the condition of the roof.
In January the authority said it needed an extra £2m to fix unexpected structural issues in the former department store. That remedial forecast has since more than doubled.
The council says the rise also reflects a bigger scheme than the one first planned, with an activity centre, extra healthcare provision and more floorspace added as the design developed, funded by a further £12m secured from the UK and Welsh governments and project partners.
Post-pandemic construction inflation is also blamed. The building itself was bought entirely with Levelling Up money, the council says, with none of its own funds used for the purchase.
Cllr Hazel Evans, cabinet member for regeneration, leisure, culture and tourism, said the project was “making use of a large building in the middle of town that would otherwise be left vacant and a potential eyesore”. The council’s own contribution comes from its capital budget and, she said, “has no impact on Council Tax”.
So what do Carmarthen residents get for the money? Hywel Dda University Health Board will run community health services from the building, including dental, sexual health, mental health, phlebotomy, community nursing, children’s therapies, child health psychology and diabetic eye screening.
The leisure side brings Actif’s first 24-hour gym, fitness studios, indoor adventure golf, children’s play facilities, TAG Active and electric go-karting.
The council’s Customer Service Hwb will move in from Unit 22, St Catherine’s Walk, along with the cash desk currently on Spilman Street, while University of Wales Trinity Saint David will run teaching facilities in the building.
Inside, contractors have completed major structural alterations and internal reconfiguration, with the scaffolding allowing façade repairs to run alongside the internal programme. Video released by the council alongside the update shows dental surgeries and a soft play frame already fitted out.
The centre was originally due to open in early 2026. Completion is now anticipated in early 2027.
The project became a flashpoint in May’s Senedd election, when candidates questioned the council’s town centre spending and contrasted the delayed Carmarthen scheme with Swansea’s sold-and-tenanted former Debenhams.
The council maintains the mix of community medical facilities, leisure and education under one town centre roof is “the first of its kind in Wales”, and says the scheme will support footfall and the wider economy.
The building has stood empty since Debenhams collapsed in 2021.
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