Work is set to get underway on the £430,000 refurbishment of the West Wales Centre for Crafts in St Clears, Carmarthenshire, in a bid to establish a regional hub for the industry.

New workshops, incubator units, meeting rooms and activity space are planned for the Pentre Road venue, as well as a revamped gallery, a new craft retail area and a café selling local produce. Carmarthenshire County Council (CCC) expects work to get underway next month, and hopes that the facility will provide a platform for local artists and craft makers, as well as developing and nurturing the culture of the local region.

Funding has been provided by a Rural Development Plan grant worth £345,167, which has been obtained by the council's West Wales European Centre, while CCC will contribute the rest. CCC's principal arts officer, Eleri Retallick, said: "This will complement a family of arts and crafts venues in west Carmarthenshire, including Dylan Thomas' Boat House, Pendine Museum of Speed, the Hywel Dda Gardens, Glyn Coch Studios and the Oriel Myrddin and King Street galleries in Carmarthen."

Carmarthenshire's regeneration executive board member, Clive Scourfield, added: "The project will act as a flagship for arts and culture in West Wales, and act as a catalyst for further regeneration in this area."