Milford Haven among ports shortlisted for turbine assembly as £1.4bn Celtic Sea energy project nears final stage

PEMBROKE PORT in Milford Haven has been named as one of seven key UK locations in the running to support the next generation of floating wind farms in the Celtic Sea – a project that could create more than 5,000 jobs and power over four million homes.

The Crown Estate has confirmed that its Offshore Wind Leasing Round 5, which will allocate three large sites in the Celtic Sea for floating offshore wind farms, has now entered its final stage. A competitive auction is expected later this spring, with lease agreements to be signed in the summer.

All shortlisted developers have identified a list of “integration ports” where giant wind turbines – potentially as tall as The Shard in London – will be assembled on floating platforms before being towed out to sea. Among the ports named are Pembroke Port, Swansea, Port Talbot, and others across the South West of England and Brittany.

The announcement signals a major opportunity for Pembrokeshire, with Milford Haven’s port infrastructure well-placed to become a hub for renewable energy development.

In March 2024, the Welsh Government provided £1 million in funding to support ground investigation works at Pembroke Port, aimed at accelerating the site’s readiness to host floating wind turbine assembly and deployment. The funding, which was matched by the Port of Milford Haven, marked a major step toward preparing Pembrokeshire for large-scale offshore energy infrastructure. The port’s early involvement in this sector likely strengthened its position in The Crown Estate’s shortlist.

Boost to economy and local jobs

Research by The Crown Estate suggests the wind farm development could deliver a £1.4 billion boost to the UK economy and support at least 5,300 jobs. The winning developers will also work with selected ports to secure long-term investment and regeneration benefits for local communities.

Gus Jaspert, Managing Director of Marine at The Crown Estate, said: “Developing this new technology in the Celtic Sea will open up transformational opportunities for new jobs, investment and growth across Wales, South West England and beyond.”

Secretary of State for Wales, Jo Stevens, said: “Today’s announcement shows that Wales is ready to seize the golden opportunity of floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea, and secure more than 5,000 jobs and billions of pounds of investment this has the potential to bring.”
“Wales will play a key part in delivering clean power as part of our Plan for Change, boosting economic growth, lowering energy bills and putting more pounds in people’s pockets.”

The turbines – set on floating structures the size of football pitches – will be installed in deeper waters further offshore than fixed-bottom wind farms, unlocking new energy potential and minimising coastal impact.

Port plans to follow auction

Detailed discussions between developers and ports, including Pembroke Port, are expected after the auction phase. The Crown Estate is investing in supply chain acceleration and environmental surveys to reduce risk and speed up delivery.

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “By unlocking the untapped potential of the Celtic Sea we will reap the benefits of economic growth and thousands of jobs in Wales and the South West, delivering on our Plan for Change.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, added:
“Floating offshore wind in the Celtic Sea will not only advance our clean energy goals but create valuable jobs and investment across Wales’ coastal communities.”

A first step in a larger plan

The three Celtic Sea sites are expected to be the first of many. The Crown Estate’s long-term vision includes leasing up to 12 gigawatts of floating wind capacity in the region by 2030, part of a broader ambition to secure up to 30 gigawatts across UK waters.

As Wales looks to the future, Milford Haven’s strategic location and maritime expertise could make it a cornerstone of the UK’s clean energy revolution.

Photo caption:

Future power: Floating wind turbines the height of The Shard could soon be assembled in Milford Haven (Pic: Herald)

A CALL to redevelop a Pembrokeshire town centre Barclays bank building, empty since 2018, has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, local business BP Betterspoons Ltd, through agent GMW Design, sought permission for a change of use of the former Barclays Bank, Market Square, Fishguard – in the town’s conservation area – to a flexible retail use, along with alterations to the building and the creation of two residential flats.

A supporting statement prepared by Johnston Planning Ltd said: “The applicants are a local business who run a number of successful hospitality establishments within the county, they seek the refurbishment of the existing building and aspire to a flexible retail use (covering use classes A1, A2 & A3) in order to maximise the potential for continued occupation of this prominent town centre building.

“This is a large detached two storey structure (with additional roof accommodation) occupying a prominent position on the main square in the centre of Fishguard flanked by the Royal Oak (separated by an alleyway) to the west and St Marys Church (separated by a portion of the cemetery) to the east.”

It says the currently vacant building “clearly has a negative impact on the character of the centre especially given its central position within the town,” adding the proposal “would clearly have a beneficial impact on the character of the conservation area.”

It concluded: “The scheme as proposed seeks the refurbishment and re-use of an existing building within the primary town centre location and the Fishguard Conservation Area. Given the primary frontage location maximum scope is sought for the proposed retail use in order to maximise the chances for full and meaningful occupation in a fashion that will enhance the vitality and viability of the town centre.

“The expansion of use is considered to be acceptable and manageable in planning terms. Similarly the scheme seeks to introduce an additional residential unit within the existing building footprint thereby maximising its potential whilst simultaneously adding to the provision of housing in the plan area.”

The application was conditionally approved by county planners.

THE FINAL sign-off for an estate of 91 houses in a Pembrokeshire town, more than 40 per cent of them affordable, has been given the go-ahead by county planners.

In an application approved at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Wales & West Housing Association sought permission for 91, one, two, three and four-bedroomed homes on land to the north of Adams Drive and to the west of Bloomfield Gardens, Narberth.

28 affordable homes are proposed, along with 12 houses as Low-Cost Home Ownership Units, the remaining 51 homes for open market sale, the meeting hearing the affordable units would have a local letting policy.

Agent Asbri Planning Ltd, in a supporting statement, said: “The design led approach will create a high-quality place, that sensitively sits within the site retained wildlife corridors and positively connects to the community of Narberth.”

It added: “The development of a mixed tenure site for different types of homes will cater for a variety of local people. These include first-time buyers, growing families looking to move up the property ladder, those looking for bungalows or to downsize for their retirement.

“As indicated approximately half of the homes proposed will be for social rent or offered for sale as part of a discounted home ownership scheme for local people who want to buy their own home but cannot afford the high cost of houses in Narberth.”

The discounted sale properties will be delivered via Wales & West Housing’s ‘Own Home Cymru’ scheme which helps buyers with a local connection to purchase a home of their own at 70 per cent of market value without the need for a deposit.

Narberth Town Council has raised concerns about site access and the ability of the town’s infrastructure to cope with the additional homes.

Some 16 letters of concern were also received by planners, issues including site access concerns and safety, the traffic should be more equally split between the two sites, and the scheme exacerbating gridlock conditions already experienced on the town centre one-way system.

The application was conditionally backed with delegated powers given to the head of planning to approve subject to conditions including a Section 106 legal agreement.

That agreement has now been secured, conditions including the provision of affordable housing in perpetuity and the implementation of a local lettings policy, a financial contribution to mitigate the impact of development on primary education provision and one towards off-site play space provision; with full planning conditionally approved.

Narberth was featured in The Sunday Times 2023 Best Places to Live Guide, where it was described as having “a town centre that punches far above its weight”.