LLANELLI WANDERERS have like most sporting clubs been concerned regarding whether or not they will be able to afford to continue playing on their home ground in the climate of asset transfers. The club has been playing at Parc Y Dre for many years but like most green spaces owned by the County Council Parc y Dre has become subject of close scrutiny. Enter Llanelli Town Council who out of nowhere have been coming to the rescue of numerous football, rugby and bowls clubs in the town.
Neil Lodwick of Llanelli Wanderers is a fan of the way in which the Town Council is approaching asset transfers. He told Carmarthenshire Media: The Wanderers had made an expression of interest with the County Council but also had a chat with the Llanelli Town Council. The Town Council have come up with an attractive offer. The Wanderers consider Parc Y Dre as their spiritual home. The club now has a memorandum of agreement with the Town Council and hope to sign up to a 99 year lease for the ground. The Town Council and the Rural council have joined forces to take ‘in house’ many of the town’s green spaces as assets creating a hyper local structure. It is very imaginative.
Speaking about the County Council’s decision to offload many of the green spaces in the town Mr Lodwick was realistic. He said: Let’s be quite frank. While I sympathise with the County Council and the pressures they are under something had to give. Leisure is not a statutory issue so I can understand why something had to give but I was disappointed. I think the Town Council have shown great imagination to do this and to take control. It is something, which is going to be locally acknowledged. When we talk about young people playing sport it is also about social skills and personal development. We may now have secured sport in the town for future generations.
