DERELICT SITE CONCERNS

COUNCILLORS have called for urgent action to make safe and clear the site of a derelict Haverfordwest building destroyed in a suspected arson attack.

Dyfed-Powys Police confirmed on Wednesday (Apr 29) that officers are investigating an arson at Snowdrop Lane, which happened at around 11:30pm on Monday (Apr 27).

A two-storey derelict property was destroyed in the blaze, with police now appealing for information, Ring doorbell footage, or CCTV which could assist their investigation.

Fire crews were called to the scene late on Monday night, with residents in the area advised to stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed as smoke spread from the burning building.

County Councillor for the Priory Ward, Cllr David Bryan, said he hoped the site would be dealt with more quickly than a previous fire-damaged property in the area.

“I hope it doesn’t continue to be an eyesore like the other one was,” he said.

“That took a few years to put right and to clear. I hope it doesn’t take as long this time, nowhere near as long.

“It took so long for that to be cleared and put in a respectable state. It has an impact on property values.

“I hope it will be cleared as soon as possible once the insurance has been sorted out and that it doesn’t impact on house prices around it.”

Cllr Bryan added that he had been in touch with constituents living nearby, who said they had not been directly affected by the fire as the smoke had blown towards Merlins Bridge.

However, he urged anyone in the area who had been affected, or who had concerns, to get in touch.

Town councillor for the Priory Ward, Cllr Adam Benson Davies, also encouraged residents to contact him if they had any worries following the incident.

“If local residents or anyone has concerns, feel free to contact me and I can discuss it with them either in person or over the phone,” he said.

Cllr Benson Davies said the future of the building could not be determined until the police and fire investigations had been completed.

“We need to wait until the investigation concludes before we state what can be done with the buildings,” he said.

“If it is unsafe then it needs to be demolished, but I don’t know if it is unsafe. I am not a structural engineer.

“We need to look at the ownership of these buildings and ensure that they are safe, secure and do not present a risk to the general public.”

Cllr Benson Davies added that he supported the wider regeneration of the Snowdrop Lane area.

Police have said officers will remain in the street today carrying out door-to-door crime enquiries.

Anyone with information, CCTV, or Ring doorbell footage is asked to contact Dyfed-Powys Police online, by emailing [email protected], by direct message on social media, or by calling 101.

Quote reference: DP-20260427-508.

Adam’s Bucketful of Hope says vulnerable users, elderly volunteers and charity drivers have paid more than £1,000 after Ateb introduced camera-controlled parking at the former library car park

LOCAL cancer victims, many of whom are battling their final months of life, are being targeted with unnecessary parking fines by local housing company Ateb.

Since taking over the former library in Haverfordwest town centre, together with the adjoining car park, Ateb has been claiming car parking fees monitored by Parking Eye Limited.

But the system means that patients attending the nearby cancer support centre, Adam’s Bucketful of Hope, are being issued with multiple fines, court summonses and even bailiff action.

Many fines are being served on vehicles which drop patients off at the centre and immediately drive off.

These include an 89-year-old volunteer who, despite paying her parking tickets, has received three separate threatening letters; a courtesy van which was fined £100 for transporting charity equipment to a fundraising event; a motorist who recently accrued a £200 fine for delivering a patient and returning later that afternoon to pick her up from the centre; and a Polish van driver who collects the charity’s ragbags for Wilcox Recyclers, who has paid £120 in parking fines.

“Why should these people have to pay?” said Chris Evans-Thomas, who co-founded the charity with her son Adam, who sadly died of leukaemia at the age of 35.

“We don’t pay when we go to the hospital, we don’t pay at the doctor’s surgery, so why are our patients, many having reached the last months of their lives, being dealt all this stress whenever they visit our support centre?

“We’ve repeatedly asked to meet Ateb face to face in order to discuss the issue, but they’re ghosting us.”

Chris claims that when Ateb purchased the library back in April 2022, the housing company assured the charity that the existing arrangement would be honoured, enabling regular charity volunteers to use their five allocated car parking spaces free of charge.

“But the parking system is now all on camera, so even if we just drive in to drop somebody off, the driver of the car is fined,” she continued.

To date, the centre’s cancer patients and volunteers have spent a total of £1,062 on tickets issued on vehicles using the five designated parking spaces. A full refund has now been requested by the charity.

“We’ve been based at this site for almost 20 years and have always operated from the back entrance. But since Ateb took over the car park, all this has changed.”

Support for patients

The charity’s principal purpose is to support cancer sufferers, many of whom are terminally ill, by providing a wide range of free treatments to boost their personal rejuvenation and respite.

These include contemplative sessions in the respite and rejuvenation room, hair and beauty treatments, and a wide range of craft and singing sessions.

The charity works closely with the VC Gallery and also welcomes anyone undergoing hospital treatment for other illnesses, both physical and mental. People who are too sick to attend can use the “messenger wall” to interact with others attending the centre.

“A lot of people finish their treatment at hospital and are then told they can go home, and for many this can be daunting,” continued Chris Evans-Thomas.

“Suddenly they no longer have all the camaraderie they received from the medical staff and they start feeling anxious and lonely. This is why the centre is so important to so many of our users.

“But since Ateb bought the library, our numbers have seen a steady decline because a lot of our users don’t want to risk using the car park and get a £100 fine, so they’ve stopped attending.”

The problem is further exacerbated by the fact that some of the centre’s older users are unable to use the car park’s card and phone payment system.

Terminal diagnosis

One of the centre’s regular attendees is Yvonne who, last November, was told that her cancer is terminal.

“I was told that I’ve got a year to live, maybe two years maximum,” she said.

“I’m already serving a life sentence, so why should I have to deal with all this added trauma from Ateb?

“They’ve sent me four letters and threatened me with court proceedings, but I’m in the middle of my cancer treatment. Having to deal with all this just adds to the stress.

“Everyone in life has come across people who are suffering from cancer and it hits the heart of everybody. But Ateb is just carrying on with their threats without giving any thought to what it’s doing to us.”

Moving to Foley House

Meanwhile Chris Evans-Thomas said that Adam’s Bucketful of Hope is currently preparing to relocate to another part of town.

“All we’re asking is for Ateb to listen to our plea and help our patients continue using the centre until we move to our new location in Foley House, having outgrown the building here in Dew Street,” she concluded.

“The feasibility studies have all been completed, with the result that we’re hoping to move in the next two years. This means we only need Ateb’s support for a short period of time.

“If we can give them our users’ registration numbers, there would be no problems.”

Ateb response

Meanwhile Ateb responded by stating it has “worked closely” with local residents, businesses and Pembrokeshire County Council to offer solutions to local parking needs.

“We’ve looked at offering various solutions and concessions to local parking needs, including aligning our parking terms to that of other nearby public car parks,” commented an Ateb spokesperson.

“We will continue to operate the parking within the displayed terms of operation and engage in issues that are made aware to us at the relevant time.”

RNLI senior lifeguards Harry and Nia represented the charity at the annual Landing Craft Memorial Service at Freshwater West on Saturday (Apr 25).

The service is held each year to remember those connected with the wartime landing craft exercises and the area’s military history.

Freshwater West is one of 16 beaches across Pembrokeshire covered by RNLI lifeguards during the summer season.

The charity is reminding beachgoers to choose a lifeguarded beach whenever possible, swim between the red and yellow flags, and call 999 and ask for the Coastguard if they see someone in difficulty in the water.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the RNLI Lifeguard Service.