‘Atriwm’ has been chosen as the name for the brand-new health and wellbeing centre at the former Debenhams store in Carmarthen, which is due to open its doors in early 2027- although it was revealed this month to senior councillors, that a ‘structural issue’ has been identified during the redevelopment of the building and an extra £2million is needed to rectify it.

Carmarthenshire County Council is transforming a former major retail store (Debenhams) in the St Catherine’s area of Carmarthen town into a one-of-a-kind facility that will deliver a range of community services in one central location.

With significant funding by both UK and Welsh Governments, this major refurbishment project, will be a home to a Council run Sport and Leisure facility, a Customer Services Hwb and a visitor information outlet. Hywel Dda University Health Board will also locate a number of its services at Atriwm and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David will offer its sport and exercise therapy clinics from the modern facility.

Actif, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Sport and Leisure service will offer its first 24-hour gym at Atriwm, along with a dedicated state of art spin and activity studios, indoor adventure golf, children’s play centre, Electric Go Karting, multi-zone TAG Active gamified arena and party rooms.

The Council’s Carmarthen Customer Service Hwb will relocate to Atriwm, providing help, advice and support across wide range of Council services and other agencies. A visitor information outlet supporting local and County tourism will also call Atriwm its home.

Hywel Dda University Health Board services will include community and children’s nursing teams, children and young people’s therapies, as well as dental, sexual health, phlebotomy, podiatry and mental health services. It will create a modern, accessible environment for health care in the centre of the local community.

The Atriwm (pronounced Ah-tree-oom) building will also be home to the Hywel Dda People Development team, providing a modern learning and training environment for Health Board staff.

UWTSD students of the bilingual BSc Sport and Exercise Therapy course will provide injury and soft tissue massage clinics under the supervision of the academic team.

The BSc Sport and Exercise Therapy programme is accredited by the Society of Sports Therapists and focusses on preparing students to work in the aspect of healthcare specifically concerned with injury prevention and patient rehabilitation.

The degree is also endorsed by the Chartered Association for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA) which means that it is aligned with industry standards for job roles such as gym instructor and personal training meaning students are well qualified for the workplace. Clients will also benefit from close proximity of the Actif gym and the range of health services to complement the treatment provided.

The name ‘Atriwm’ is inspired in recognition of Carmarthen’s Roman roots, with its fort and amphitheatre. Atriwm, a Welsh word, derives from the Latin word, Atrium, meaning an entrance hall or the main open court of a Roman house.

Atriwm is also the name for one of the two upper chambers of the human heart, a name that is appropriate to all partners involved in the project and the health and well-being purpose of the building.

In the context of modern architecture, Atriwm pays tribute to the iconic large glass windows of the former retail building.

With an original completion date of early 2026, Atriwm is now expected to open in early 2027 due to unforeseen remedial works to the façade of the building. Lead contractor Bouygues UK will shortly commence work on the façade of the building which will require a traffic management system in place on St Catherine’s Street, which is likely to be in place until Autumn 2026.

Local contractors including FP Hurley, Shufflebottom and Becker Sliding Partitions have played a key role in delivering the scheme, supported by a network of supply chains, creating real economic benefits for the local community.

Carmarthenshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Leisure, Culture and Tourism – Cllr Hazel Evans said:“We are pleased to announce that Atriwm will be the name of the health and wellbeing centre in Carmarthen, which pays tribute to the town’s historical past whilst also providing a strong and positive name to a building which will be occupied by multiple partners to provide community health services.

I would like to thank the local community and drivers for their patience in regards to the traffic management system that will shortly be in place as construction work now moves to the outside of the building. Further details on the progress of Atriwm will be updated throughout the year as we look forward to opening the facility in 2027.”

Lee Davies, Hywel Dda University Health Board’s Executive Director of Strategy and Planning, commented:"Atriwm represents an important step forward in how we deliver health care at the heart of our community. We look forward to moving into the new building and bringing together a broad range of health and wellbeing services in one accessible location.”

Professor Gareth Davies, Dean of the Institute of Management and Health at UWTSD said: “This initiative provides our Sport and Exercise Therapy students with valuable practical experience in a professional setting and clients will have the added benefit of the close proximity of complementary health and fitness services offered within the building.

“Our presence in the Atriwm enriches the range of Sport and Healthy Living courses offered at our Carmarthen campus and we look forward to working within this multi-agency building.”

It was revealed this month to senior councillors, that a structural issue has been identified during the redevelopment of the former Debenhams store and extra money is needed to rectify it.

The anchor store in St Catherine’s Walk Shopping Centre closed after the high street retailer went into administration in 2021, prompting Carmarthenshire County Council to step in with plans to create a new health and leisure hub there.

The project has attracted significant UK and Welsh Government funding, the council committed cash of its own, and work began in 2024.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on January 12, Cllr Alun Lenny said around £40 million was being invested in the project but there had been a hitch.

“During the work of transforming this huge building for various purposes, a structural issue was detected,” he said.

“Although a detailed structural survey was conducted, I’m told that this defect would not have been detected until the very extensive construction work had reached a recent stage. This has resulted in extra costs and delays – which we have no choice but to address.”

The cabinet member for resources didn’t say what the defect was and added that he’d asked for full report for councillors and the public.

Cllr Lenny said he maintained the risk was worth it given the importance of the building to the town and its retail sector. He said boarded-up Debenhams stores still blighted some high streets in England.

“Despite the extra costs and delays, that will not happen in Carmarthen,” he said.

When work got under way in 2024 the council estimated the doors would open in 2026.

A report before cabinet on January 12 said £2 million would be set aside to cover additional costs arising from the structural issue.