Urban Foundry’s PopUp Wales project, known for turning empty spaces into busy multi-purpose hubs for start-ups, businesses, and communities, is now making an impact in Carmarthenshire.
What are meanwhile spaces and their benefits?
The purpose of meanwhile spaces, or pop-up spaces, is to temporarily repurpose empty sites for business and community use. This approach has tangible, long-term benefits. Strategies for meanwhile use have been recognised for their potential to generate social value and are recommended for inclusion in long-term development and regeneration plans.
The empty shop challenge and the role of meanwhile spaces
Empty shops are a national, even global, issue. Meanwhile spaces revitalise underused urban areas, providing affordable venues for local businesses, artists, and community groups. In turn, they stimulate economic activity and build social cohesion.
Success stories in Swansea, Bridgend, and Caerphilly
Already successful in Swansea, Bridgend, and Caerphilly, the project has helped many businesses test their ideas and transition into permanent town centre locations. Recognising its potential to boost the region’s local economy and utilise empty spaces, Carmarthenshire County Council partnered with Urban Foundry to bring this initiative to the area.
Pop-up spaces in Carmarthenshire
There are currently eight pop-up spaces across three town centres in Carmarthenshire:
Ammanford
Ammanford Nails, 26 Quay Street
The project assisted Ammanford Nails in relocating to this address.
-
Ammanford Nails Interior
-
Situated in the heart of Ammanford
The Secret Plant House, Unit 11, The Arcade
Cameron and James, founders of The Secret Plant House, sell unique, carefully chosen houseplants with a focus on rare and exotic varieties.
“We started the business in August – our first event was Carmarthen Pride, actually. We now attend markets across the UK most weekends in London, Bath, Bristol, and Cardiff. We also have a growing B2B side of our business, stocking most major garden centres with our cacti and succulents.
We started to realise how much we needed a proper base and got in touch with PopUp Wales. This space in the arcade has had a huge impact – it’s definitely increased our revenue. Having an extra place on the high street has boosted our brand awareness just through footfall alone. We are catching people as they walk through the arcade who otherwise might not be shopping online or know about us, so it’s great for local brand awareness.
Before this, we hadn’t thought about a space like this in the town centre and probably wouldn’t have had the budget to do it on our own, especially with upfront costs. Looking forward, we’d love to take this on long-term, add an espresso bar (as all plant lovers are also coffee addicts!) working with local businesses, expand into the upstairs if we can, and create something really special here in the Arcade.”
– Cameron, The Secret Plant House
Co-founder Cameron outside their shop in Ammanford Arcade
Units 9 and 10, The Arcade
Undergoing renovation to become a bar, allowing the owner to trial a long-held business idea.
Carmarthen
Morgan Le Fay, 17 Notts Square
Morgan Le Fay is a new alterations business, and the project has helped Jamie Jones, the owner, transition from employment to entrepreneurship. She made her first sale on the opening day.
“I opened in this space a couple of weeks ago. I run an alterations and repair shop with a heavy ethos of sustainability, promoting a repair culture here in Carmarthenshire and providing a much-needed local service.
The impact of having this physical space in the town centre has been huge. It’s been fantastic – being in a visible spot has meant people can see me, see the signage outside, and even if they just come in to ask a question, it’s something they otherwise wouldn’t be able to do.
Having this spot in what is turning into a lovely little artisan corner of Carmarthen has really increased awareness of my business. Without the shop being here, I definitely wouldn’t have received the work I’ve had over the last few weeks. Whilst I’ve opened a little Facebook page, I haven’t done much digital marketing, so it’s shown me the impact that a physical space can have.
It’s also pushed me as a business owner and given me new skills. All I knew to begin with was how to sew, and now I’m learning lots of new things to do with running a business. It’s been scary, but I’ve had lots of support from both the Enterprise Hub and PopUp Wales, which has meant I’ve always felt there’s someone I can turn to when I need help.”
– Jamie Jones, Morgan Le Fay
-
The owner, Jamie, using her machinery in the space
-
The exterior of the space in Carmarthen
45 King Street
Discussions are underway with a community-focused organisation to take over this space.
Sero, Unit 11, St. Catherine’s Walk
Sero is a community environment centre providing services to reduce the impact of climate change. They have taken this space, and the Urban Foundry team is helping them redesign it for better accessibility and to showcase their various projects.
“Having a new two-storey space allows us to offer a more diverse range of services. We can host repair cafés and continue to run our regular activities. The extra room and refreshed environment let us create a better shopping experience – one that’s both educational and encourages people to rethink their relationship with resources in a more engaging and meaningful way.”
– Polly Walters, Sero
The staff of Sero outside their new space
Llanelli
Blossom to Bloom, 7 Cowell Street
Blossom to Bloom approached PopUp Wales for a space and has now moved into this location.
“Thanks to the fantastic opportunity and support from Urban Foundry, I was able to secure a central location in town – a possibility I never thought achievable when searching for venues. This experience has given me a valuable taste of what’s possible and encouraged me to consider investing in my own bricks and mortar.”
-Victoria Newman, Blossom to Bloom
Blueprint Wales, 14 Stepney Street
Blueprint Wales is a not-for-profit dedicated to local regeneration and is piloting its regeneration project ideas here.
“PopUp Wales have done a fantastic job at unlocking spaces in the town. At Blueprint, we’ve been passionate about exploring interesting ideas for what can go here. Today, for example, we have the immersive showcase – it’s been amazing to see kids running around Llanelli town centre on Fortnite, which we built, testing out the games, and being immersed in new, innovative technology that they might not otherwise know about.
Having a presence in the town is really what we need to drive this project forward. A lot of work goes on behind the scenes, and no one sees what we’re doing, so it’s fantastic to have a space in the town that people can walk past, get involved in, and learn about who Blueprint are and what we’re doing.”
-James, Blueprint Wales
How Urban Foundry is leading the way
Urban Foundry are experts in pop-ups and have successfully transformed empty spaces into multi-purpose hubs, supporting start-ups and community activities. Alongside enhancing activity in town centres, they contribute to the local economy by attracting visitors and encouraging investment.
Tara Tarapetian, Director at Urban Foundry, said:
“Part of the success of PopUp Wales comes down to the quality of how we transform spaces. We make sure each one is stylish, functional, and has a real sense of quality. They’re designed to be versatile, whether it’s for workshops, test trading with shops, hot desking, or hosting events. The space has to work for a sole trader, a small team, or even larger groups.
We spend time listening to the people who use them, making sure we’re providing the right facilities and support. Long term, it’s about more than just the spaces. It’s about helping businesses grow, creating opportunities, and breathing new life into town centres.”
Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism, Cllr Hazel Evans commented:
“The County Council is dedicated to reducing the number of empty shops in Carmarthenshire. By supporting the External Landlord Intervention project it ensures that we are making use of buildings that would otherwise lay vacant. For business owners, artists and community groups, the project provides space in prime locations at an affordable cost and supports Carmarthenshire organisations. It is my hope that projects such as the External Landlord Intervention project can continue to support businesses of all sizes and increase local economies across the County. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those involved in the project and to the UK Government’s Shared Prosperity Fund for funding this work”.
This project is an Urban Foundry initiative delivered in collaboration with Carmarthenshire County Council. It is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
