Construction can continue at the £200m Llanelli Waterside regeneration scheme but occupation must await remedial sewerage work

Inadequate sewerage must be remedied before completion of a £200m waterfront regeneration scheme at Llanelli in Carmarthenshire, which includes a restaurant backed by Welsh rugby stars Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones.

The 100-acre scheme, a joint project between Carmarthenshire Council and the Welsh Assembly aiming to create 1,500 jobs, cannot be opened for occupation until upgrade work is undertaken, which could take two years.

The sewerage system is already so near capacity that additional demand from the new development, which includes 340,000 sq ft of offices and 1,000 homes as well as a luxury hotel, could lead to sewage overflowing into the sea after heavy rain.

The Llanelli Waterside scheme therefore will not be allowed to open until the completion in March 2010 of improvement works to a sewage pumping station and treatment works, due to start next month. However, construction can continue in the meantime.

Planning approval was recently given to a restaurant scheme at Llanelli Waterside by Bendigo 9-10, backed by rugby stars Dwayne Peel and Stephen Jones, with the condition that it cannot open for business until after the sewerage upgrade. Their scheme involves redeveloping the grade II listed Pump House at North Dock.

A similar condition has been imposed on a new large office block approved for land at nearby Delta Lakes, to be built by WRW.

The council said that the Environment Agency and Welsh Water had recommended the conditions, because of concerns over the water quality in the Burry Port inlet.

Welsh Water said that the need for the remedial work arose from studies undertaken, and that further investigations into the network are continuing.