Building for life – Shufflebottom and Bouygues UK at Canolfan Pentre Awel

It’s always an exciting moment when a vision becomes a reality. That moment is now as Zone 1 of Carmarthenshire’s flagship, multi-million-pound 4-Zone development at Pentre Awel, Llanelli, being delivered by Carmarthenshire County Council nears completion.

Shufflebottom is proud to have been part of this 24-month build. Working with lead contractor, Bouygues UK, whose mission is ‘building for life’ we delivered 1,300 tonnes of steelwork to provide the inner strength for this bold and ambitious ground-breaking development. We’re also proud to say (again!) that we were awarded the accolade of ‘contractor of the month’ not once, but twice, at Pentre Awel during the 12-month construction period, as well as ‘The Top Performer Award’ – Bouygues UK’s recognition of the part we played in the local supply chain.

Canolfan Pentre Awel as it has been named (Pentre Awel Centre) is a translation of Bouygues UK’s ‘building for life’ mission:  a development which will be the heartbeat of the Carmarthenshire region, bringing together life sciences & business innovation, community healthcare, and modern leisure facilities at the 83-acre Delta Lakes site on Llanelli’s coastline. Part-funded (£40 million) by Swansea Bay City Deal and with a total investment of £84 million it is predicted to create 1,800 jobs, and to boost the local south-west Wales economy by £467 million over the next 15 years. It is the largest regeneration scheme in south-west Wales.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s vision of a place that illustrates “what it means to live well” is almost ready. Zone 1 at Canolfan Pentre Awel will enable the reality of that vision to make a difference to the people of Carmarthenshire by encouraging them to lead active and healthy lives. In a single building, facilities will be interlinked by a ‘street’ layout with a central atrium. These facilities will include:

• Leisure centre – with swimming pool, sports hall, gym, dance & multi-purpose studio plus hydrotherapy

• Education, research and business development operations

• Design, architecture & sustainability as integral elements

The aesthetics at Canolfan Pentre Awel will contribute to the “what it means to live well” objective, as it is landscape-led, connected to local communities and amenities, and is sustainable. Bouygues UK were pleased to announce recently that Net Zero has been achieved in operation.

Many of our 84+ staff here at Shufflebottom HQ in Cross Hands live and work in the Carmarthenshire area. They have watched with interest, and emotional involvement, as the project has developed over the last 2 years. Now that the development is making an impressive mark on the Llanelli skyline, they are getting ready to take advantage of the life-enhancing facilities it offers when the doors open later this year.

Shufflebottom would like to acknowledge the dedication of Bouygues UK in using local sub-contractors as part of its commitment to provide employment, training and skills’ opportunities to local people and under-represented groups. We share those same social and sustainability values and know that the true ‘value’ of the Canolfan Pentre Awel project will be seen in the local economy long after the physical construction phases are completed.

Councillor Hazel Evans, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Culture, Leisure and Tourism reiterated this:

“Bouygues UK has shown its dedication to the Pentre Awel masterplan, not only through its outstanding engagement with local schools, but by employing Carmarthenshire businesses to undertake work on the site.”

At Shufflebottom we couldn’t be more pleased that, as a home-grown Carmarthenshire company, we’re at the heart of this exciting development of such importance. The project will realise 21st century ambitions for Carmarthenshire County Council. Importantly, it also endorses our ambition and capacity to deliver on projects of such scope and scale and positions us as a company ready to deliver those 21st ambitions.

Images of Canolfan Pentre Awel supplied by Bouygues UK.