News
Mustang opens new construction hall
ECONOMY Minister Edwina Hart opened the Construction Hall at Mustang Marine, Pembroke Dock as part of the planned expansion of the company last Monday.
Alongside the opening of the hall and unveiling of the plaque, Mustang Marine
also displayed their latest multi-purpose vessel, the SMV24 by Supacat, which is still being built and is the first of its kind. The main purpose of the vessel is to maintain wind farms at sea.
Kevin Lewis, managing director of Mustang Marine, told The Herald the early history of his company: “When I was around 15 years of age, I stood in a graving dock with my father where the last ships to be built in Pembroke Dock were. I told him that that was the business I wanted to be in.
“After being in the Royal Navy, I set up Mustang Marine in 1984 with a specific purpose of building boats, and here we are 30 years later, building boats that are big an substantial. The desire has almost been fulfilled.
“Mustang Marine has come to life over the years, and we now employ over 130 people. We have a desire to grown, though finance is tricky. We looked for partners to promote and expand, though we didn’t have to look far. The Milford Haven Port Authority joined with us and used their facilities in helping us expand.”
Mr Lewis added: “I would like to thank the team at Mustang. They are a very good and experienced team. They’ve put a lot of effort in”.
Cllr Jane Philips, mayor of Pembroke Dock, said: “I see this as job opportunities for Pembroke Dock and for the people of Pembrokeshire – this is what we need”.
All the digitaries were given a tour around the SMV24, where a Mustang Marine spokesman told the Herald: “We started it in February, but it still needs some work with the electrics, though it will be in the water between November 25 and November 28. This is the first of it’s kind and a letter of intent has been written to build another nine. The whole ship was done in house with our own local labour. We train the boys ourselves, who are all committed.”
The Herald was given an exclusive tour around the yard at Mustang Marine, where were shown all workshops and the slipway.
Robert Humphreys, Operations Director at Mustang Marine, told The Herald: “The slipway was extended the same time as the new fabrication. This is where we are building a 36ft Thames River cruiser. The slipway is a great place to build larger vessels as it’s fully covered and directly onto the water.
“We want the opportunity to build many more vessels than we currently are. We can’t build more than what we have done so far, as they take up so much time and space – we haven’t got the room to do it.”
The slipway at Mustang Marine is part of the original dockyard, dating back to the 19th century.
Mr Humphreys continued: “Here we can turn hard metal into complex shapes and do it within strict tolerances and exact standards. You can see the complexity of it just by looking at it. It’s a highly skilled and specialised thing to do.”
Mr Humphreys showed The Herald a number of workshops at Mustang Marine including Workshop 1, where the hull and first tier of the SMV24 was built.
“It took up the entire shed,” Mr Humphreys told The Herald. “We couldn’t have built anything bigger, though having this facility will help us to build bigger things.”
Local Government
Consultation over electoral changes to eight Pembrokeshire community councils
Residents are being asked for their views on proposed changes affecting councillor numbers and electoral arrangements in communities across the county
PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL is inviting residents, organisations and other interested parties to have their say on proposed changes to the electoral arrangements of eight community councils across the county.
The consultation follows recommendations published by the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru in January 2025 as part of a wider review of Pembrokeshire’s community boundaries and local electoral arrangements.
The Commission’s review considered whether the county’s existing communities and community wards continued to provide effective and convenient local government.
It examined issues including community boundaries, the number of councillors serving each area, the distribution of councillors between community wards and whether existing arrangements continued to reflect local populations and community identities.
While a number of the Commission’s recommendations involved changes to community boundaries, it also proposed alterations to the electoral arrangements of some community councils where no boundary changes were recommended.
Those particular proposals could not be introduced through the original community review process and must now be considered separately by Pembrokeshire County Council.
The latest consultation concerns the following communities:
- Lamphey
- Llanrhian
- Martletwy
- Nolton and Roch
- Pencaer
- St Dogmaels
- Stackpole and Castlemartin
- Wolfscastle
The proposals could affect matters such as the number of councillors elected to individual community councils and how council seats are distributed between community wards.
Community and town councils form the most local tier of elected government. They represent the interests of their communities and may be responsible for services and facilities including public spaces, community buildings, play areas, noticeboards and local events.
The County Council said it was seeking views from residents and organisations with connections to the communities affected to ensure that local perspectives were considered before any decisions were made.
The consultation will open on Tuesday, July 28, and close on Friday, September 11, 2026.
Full details of the proposed changes and supporting documents will be available through Pembrokeshire County Council’s Have Your Say consultation portal.
Residents will be able to review the proposals affecting their community and submit comments online.
Paper copies of the consultation documents can also be requested by contacting the Council’s Customer Contact Centre on 01437 764551 or emailing [email protected].
Anyone with questions about the proposals or the review process is encouraged to contact the Council’s electoral services team.
Community
Narberth Eisteddfod fundraisers celebrate reaching £8,000 target
Community support and a £2,000 contribution from Narberth Town Council help committee achieve its fundraising goal
Narberth Eisteddfod Fundraising Committee is celebrating after successfully reaching its £8,000 fundraising target.
The milestone follows a busy programme of events organised by the committee, each of which received strong support from residents, businesses and community groups across the Narberth area.

Committee chair Glinys Meredydd thanked everyone who had helped make the campaign a success.
She said: “I would like to thank all members of the Narberth Eisteddfod team for their hard work and commitment.
“They organised some fantastic events, which were extremely well supported by the local community.
“I would also like to thank Narberth Town Council, which donated £2,000 on behalf of the people of Narberth.”

The committee will hold one final fundraising event with a last sale of its locally produced and hand-printed Eisteddfod Garreg Las 2026 T-shirts.
Members of the public are invited to visit the committee at Narberth Carnival Field on Saturday, July 25, where they will have a final opportunity to buy or win one of the T-shirts and join the celebrations ahead of the Eisteddfod’s return to Pembrokeshire.
The committee has thanked everyone who attended an event, made a donation, volunteered their time, purchased a T-shirt or helped promote the campaign.
Reaching the £8,000 target has been described as a powerful example of what can be achieved when the Narberth community comes together in support of Welsh language and culture.

Crime
Man, 37, found dead following major police response in Pembroke Dock
Death not being treated as suspicious as police make statutory referral to IOPC following active investigation
A 37-YEAR-OLD man has been found dead at Warrior Way in Pembroke Dock.
Dyfed-Powys Police said officers attended the area at around 7pm on Sunday, July 19, after concerns were raised for the welfare of an individual.
There was a significant police presence in the area, with several units positioned at the scene on Sunday and further police activity continuing into Monday.
The scale of the response prompted speculation among members of the public about the nature of the incident.
Police have now confirmed that the man was found deceased and that his death is not being treated as suspicious.
His next of kin have been informed.
HM Coroner has been advised, and officers will continue to assist with the coroner’s investigation.
The matter has also been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct because the man had been involved in an active police investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police said the referral was made in line with the IOPC’s statutory referral criteria.
Such referrals are required in certain circumstances and do not, in themselves, indicate that police officers or staff are suspected of wrongdoing.
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