Mr Faraday's property was where the bus station is today

The old Llanelli Borough Council used a compulsory purchase order to acquire Brian Faraday's property in 1993.

He disputed the compensation he was offered and the issue has finally been settled by the Lands Tribunal.

The council bought land in the town to build the St Elli Shopping Centre and develop a bus station at Island Place.

Mr Faraday had opened an estate agent's office at Island Place in the early 1980s and rented out the upstairs office accommodation.

He claimed his business was affected when the council started buying properties and boarding them up in the mid 1980s.

The St Elli Centre and its glass pyramid are prominent landmarks

He was seeking a total of �1.1m for the loss of his business and the property.

The Lands Tribunal has now ruled Mr Faraday, of Pwll, near Llanelli, was entitled to a payout of �589,000.

He will also get interest on the compensation from the date when his premises was compulsorily acquired and also part of his costs in pursuing the case.

In its ruling the tribunal was critical of the way Llanelli Borough Council, which no longer exists following local government reorganisation, approached its negotiations with Mr Faraday.

Carmarthenshire Council, which succeeded the borough council, will pay half the sum and the Welsh Development Agency will pay the rest.

A spokesman for Carmarthenshire Council said the authority would not be commenting on the case as it had inherited it from the former borough council.

He said the compensation would come from a reserve that had been kept in anticipation of the Lands Tribunal's decision.