News

Fears over the future of our Town Centres

Published

11 years ago

August 30, 2013

The controversy and debate over town centre regeneration has been re-ignited by Michael Hughes, proprietor of soon to be closed Haverfordwest outlet, ‘Tom Hughes’, who criticised the local County Council for failing to support local businesses in Haverfordwest Town Centre. When speaking to Mr Hughes, he explained how local businesses are struggling,

“There is a lack of planning and vision for Haverfordwest (by Pembrokeshire County Council). Little has been done to help regenerate the town centre. Nice streets and flowers aren’t going to bring people to Haverfordwest. Tourists will not simply come just for Marks and Spencer, Next and Debenhams. They come (to towns like Haverfordwest) for different shops.”

According to Mr Hughes, the retail trade journal ‘Draper’, has claimed there is actually a rise in high street shopping. He also made reference to the rates, which he sees as very high; indeed, he believes they are more expensive per square metre than they are in Carmarthen and he criticised the rating policy set by The Welsh Assembly, complaining that the threshold for rate relief is far too low.

The Herald spoke with a number of shops in Haverfordwest Town centre with recurring themes of complaint about parking facilities in the town, the cost of rates and the closure of Ocky Whites and its effect on trade.

Indeed, only this week comes the announcement that J and G Bland (Motors) Limited, are to close their doors on September 6th. Speaking with another local paper, the owner, Alan Bland, cited high overheads, especially the rates, as the reason for closure. This demise of yet another established Haverfordwest company, one that has been trading in the town for over 130 years, having been established in 1875, will come as a further blow to those that wish to see more independant traders within the Town. The loss of this family business also sees the loss of another twenty jobs in the Town centre.

Jackie Westrup, Haverfordwest Town Mayor, stated,

“I will not run my town down or blame others for its plight but I do recognise the difficulties it is facing. My (Town) Council recognises the plight of our town centre but it also recognises that this is mainly due to the new shopping habits of people.”

She went on to say,

“We have great difficulty in understanding why the County Council wishes to develop a whole line of new shops by Bridge Street where the (current) businesses are struggling under high rates and rents. We consider it complete folly”.

Councillor David Howlett, leader of the Conservative Group on the County Council, commented upon the problem of perceived high rates in Haverfordwest.

“Business rates are the second largest expense (for a business) after wages, and this is set by the Welsh Government. The Welsh (Labour) Government could and should do more with that.”

He continued by explaining that a hardship fund is available to councils but that his worry is that, if a council started down that route, it might be difficult to know where to stop. He also pointed out that the Conservative Party have an Assembly policy for high street regeneration which, amongst other things, aims to tackle the problems with issues surrounding parking and rates, and would use Town Centre Managers to bring cohesion to the running of these centres. He finished by saying that,

“No one element will work by itself. It has to be a collaboration of local councils and the policies of Welsh Assembly Government and UK Government”.

Paul Davies, Welsh Assembly Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, commented by saying,

“Small businesses play such an important role in Pembrokeshire and by regenerating our local high streets, we can take a significant step forward in nurturing growth in our local economy, creating jobs and making Wales a more prosperous nation. The Welsh Government needs to make our high streets more accessible and more attractive, as well as tackling high vacancy rates before our high streets disappear altogether”

Councillor Paul Miller, leader of the Labour Group, takes a very different view when searching for a solution to the problem. As he explained,

“In 2010 Marks and Spencer moved to Pembrokeshire, opening a new store on the Withybush Retail Park. The Pembrokeshire Independent Group of councillors facilitated and welcomed this move. The reality is that Marks and Spencer moving to Haverfordwest was great news for shoppers, but, in allowing the store to locate outside of the town centre, Pembrokeshire County Council effectively called time on a vibrant and viable Haverfordwest. “

He went on to point out that, as he sees it, in the UK there are only a handful of ‘destination’ retail outlets, the likes of John Lewis and Marks and Spencer, for example, and that in a well planned venture such stores are used as ‘anchor stores’, generating, as he says, “footfall which can support and sustain neighbouring local retailers”.

He went on to lay out his, and Labour’s, vision for Haverfordwest.

“A Labour Council would engage directly with the major retailers still to develop a footprint in Pembrokeshire. We’d get from them just what it is they want- parking, floor area and adjacent facilities – and we’d produce one single master plan for Haverfordwest Town Centre. With pre-lets in place with retailers, we’d acquire the required real estate and provide the up-front capital funds to get construction underway”.

Asked whether he was concerned about the Welsh Labour Government’s business rate setting, he responded by claiming that business rates were a ‘smoke screen that the Council and its allies were using to cover up their failings’.

However, Councillor David Pugh, Cabinet Member for the Economy, poured scorn on Mr Miller’s viewpoint pointing out that Withybush Retail Park is privately owned and thus can allow any retailer to trade from its property as it so wishes; inferring that Labour’s plans would be impossible to impose. As well as this, he cited the cutbacks the County Council faces and doubted the electorate would support the use of Council funds in this way. On the subject of seemingly high rents, he explained that the County Council had no influence on rent set by private landlords. He also said that the business rates are set by the Welsh Assembly Government. He made reference to the business rate review document, published by Professor Brian Morgan in 2012, saying ‘it was a good report that called for the need for adjustment to business rates’, but stated that,

“Unfortunately the (Welsh) Assembly has decided to postpone this review until 2017”.

Councillor Pugh made it clear that he felt there should be an adjustment to the rates but that the Welsh Assembly Government had decided not to make that adjustment.

When asked whether his Independent Group may suffer from having no political voice within the Assembly, lacking, it would appear, a party manifesto, (as in past election literature the Independent Group has claimed to be ‘above’ party politics), Councillor Pugh simply stated that his Group had influence as a ‘political party’ and spoke often with the (Welsh) Assembly. He finished by saying that the regeneration of Pembrokeshire’s town centres was ‘at the top of the list’ and that the County Council would “engage with all aspects of Town to work in partnership to see what we can do”.

Finally, The Herald spoke exclusively with Preseli Pembrokeshire MP, Stephen Crabb, who offered an alternative vision of how Haverfordwest, or indeed any town centre, could face this uncertain future.

“It is clear that every town centre, up and down the country, faces challenges. Somehow our town centres need to be developed and managed in a way that responds to those trends. In some towns the shopping area could be smaller with perhaps more residential and cultural facilities, for example, galleries and restaurants, replacing some retail outlets.”

He pointed out that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to town centres would not succeed and that policy should reflect this, with each individual town requiring individual solutions and continued by saying that,

“In future, County Councils need to work far more closely with Town Councils. When I go around Pembrokeshire it would be easy to be depressed, but there are people in our communities setting up new shops and trying to bring new retail to their communities.”

To this, he cited the new shops in Milford Haven and Haverfordwest, and the raised quality of their retail produce. Mr Crabb pointed out that those people willing to take risks are the people who need every bit of backing they can get from all aspects of Government. He finished by stating that,

“The future of town centres will not be in the hands of big business but in those of local entrepreneurs”.

Whatever may be the future of Haverfordwest, it may take a little bit more than the encumbant County Council’s ‘streetscape paint scheme’ or a lowering of business rates to regenerate these historic and essential community centres and, as Stephen Crabb suggests, a new approach may be necessary to restore our prestigious market town to its former glory.

Community

RWE launches hydrogen education programme to inspire future climate champions

Published

23 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

RWE has launched its Hydrogen Education Programme, an initiative aimed at educating schoolchildren about hydrogen’s crucial role in achieving net zero and decarbonising industries.

Developed in partnership with Generation C, the programme offers interactive, curriculum-based activities that connect classroom learning to real-world applications. Students of all ages will explore hydrogen’s properties, its production, and its growing role in industries driving the clean energy transition.

Henry Tudor High School in Pembroke has already piloted the programme with secondary school students, while Golden Grove Primary School is set to begin this week. The initiative will demonstrate how hydrogen, as a clean energy source, is integral to reducing emissions in transport, manufacturing, and energy sectors.

Engaging young minds

The programme features real-world case studies highlighting RWE’s hydrogen projects and includes group challenges designed to encourage critical thinking about global climate issues.

Golden Grove Primary School headteacher, Mr A Williams, welcomed the initiative, stating: “As head of a large primary school in Pembrokeshire, which is at the forefront of green energy growth, it is imperative that we build meaningful relationships with companies like RWE. The initial lesson captivated our learners, who now fully understand the importance of green energy and the new hydrogen plant. The flexibility of the New Welsh Curriculum allows us to tailor learning to our community’s needs—building an electrolyser to produce hydrogen is just the beginning of a journey that could lead to future opportunities in collaboration with businesses.”

Williams also highlighted the programme’s potential to shape future career paths, saying: “This project could provide highly skilled jobs in our county, and we need our learners to be at the forefront of that development.”

Building a sustainable future

Louise McDonnell, RWE’s hydrogen development manager, attended the event and emphasised the programme’s impact: “Our Hydrogen Education Programme equips young people with the knowledge and inspiration to make a difference. Hydrogen is a game-changer in the fight against climate change, and through this initiative, we’re helping students see the opportunities in clean energy. Education is key to building the skills and passion needed to achieve net zero and safeguard our planet.”

RWE’s Hydrogen Education Programme is more than just an awareness initiative—it aims to inspire careers in clean energy. By sparking curiosity in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics), the programme encourages students to explore future roles in the expanding hydrogen economy and renewable energy sector.

Hydrogen’s role in decarbonisation

RWE recently secured planning permission for the RWE Pembroke Green Hydrogen Project, a 100MWe electrolysis plant capable of producing approximately two metric tonnes of green hydrogen per hour. By replacing fossil fuels, the plant is expected to cut local CO2 emissions by about 93,000 tonnes annually, the equivalent of removing 18,600 cars from the road.

As the UK’s largest power producer and a leading renewable generator, RWE continues to develop hydrogen opportunities nationwide to support industrial decarbonisation and drive the transition to a cleaner energy future.

Crime

Victims of domestic violence avoiding homelessness thanks to pilot scheme

Published

23 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

A PILOT initiative designed to help survivors of domestic abuse remain safely in their homes and reduce the risk of homelessness, has seen 76 Carmarthenshire residents protected in just six months.

The My Safe Place project, which is a partnership between Dyfed-Powys Police, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (OPCC) and Carmarthenshire County Council, addresses significant gaps in support services, particularly for people living in their own or privately rented homes, who often can’t afford to implement necessary security measures.

Through providing interventions such as locks, alarms, fencing and other safety features, the program enables domestic abuse survivors to deter perpetrators and avoid the emotional and financial upheaval of relocating.

Constable Stephen Morris, Dyfed-Powys Police’s Designing Out Crime Officer, said: “If a domestic abuse survivor is living in privately owned or privately rented accommodation, very often they can not afford to carry out safeguarding recommendations.

“We identified this gap through speaking to and visiting domestic abuse victims and were able to secure funding to carry out security work and help people who were fleeing domestic abuse to stay in their own homes – preventing them becoming homeless.”

The initiative aligns closely with strategic priorities for housing and domestic abuse prevention, placing a strong emphasis on early intervention to prevent homelessness.

Recent evaluation found the majority of domestic abuse survivors felt safer in their homes after receiving support through My Safe Place, while an equally high percentage recommended the service as an alternative to moving.

“It is often all too easy to send people into refuge, but why should they have to? They are a victim of crime. Their children may go to school locally, they may have family living nearby or local support networks, so why should they have to leave? “In the long term, it is often not what they want. My job is to ensure extra security measures are in place so that the police can reach victims before the perpetrators.” PC Morris continued.

“The council housing team have also had training, so if one brave person declares themselves homeless due to domestic abuse, they can refer them directly to the police to give us the opportunity to intervene and support the victim, which is something that may not have happened previously.

“I’m pleased we have been able to able to utilise funds to help safeguard some of the most vulnerable victims from significant serious harm and plug this gap in provision.”

From April to October 2024, 76 people were supported by the scheme, with 20 interventions to those people living in properties they owned and 17 interventions to those living in private rented accommodation. 26 interventions were made to those living in local authority housing, four to people living in housing association and nine in Registered Social Landlord (RSL) properties.

Through consultation with Mid and West Wales Survivor’s Panel, it revealed victims face significant challenges in accessing home security measures while experiencing domestic abuse.

This gap in support was identified and addressed through funding provided by the OPCC and Carmarthenshire County Council, with delivery facilitated by the Safer Streets initiative. The Safer Streets mission is funded by the Home Office and aims to reduce serious harm and increase public confidence in policing and in the criminal justice system.

Joanne Edwards, Carmarthenshire County Council’s Commissioning and Contracting Manager, said: “As a pilot program, it underscores a firm commitment to easing the strain on homelessness and refuge services, while empowering victims to maintain stability for themselves and their families. Its core objectives include enhancing victims’ safety, reducing the risks posed by perpetrators, and providing a practical alternative to displacement.

“In its pilot phase, the project has demonstrated measurable success and strong stakeholder support. Regular reviews and feedback mechanisms are in place to maintain and enhance its effectiveness. As My Safe Place continues to grow, it holds the potential to serve as a model for future interventions aimed at supporting victims of domestic abuse and preventing homelessness.”

The scheme is another way Dyfed-Powys Police is demonstrating its commitment to helping eliminate domestic abuse.

PC Morris added: “I’m confident that should this scheme continue, it will successfully reduce the number of people declaring themselves as homeless to the council as a result of domestic abuse.”

Dyfed-Powys Police and Crime Commissioner Dafydd Llywelyn hoped the pilot scheme would help to empower survivors to stay in their own homes.

He said: “I am proud to support and partner on this scheme, which I hope will make a real difference to the lives of domestic abuse survivors. By addressing gaps in support and providing practical security measures, we want to empower survivors to feel safer in their own homes and reduce the risk of homelessness.

“Everyone deserves to feel secure and supported, and I believe this scheme has the potential to bring about lasting, positive change for those who need it most.”

If you need to report domestic abuse, stalking or harassment, you can contact Dyfed-Powys Police in the following ways:

Report online: https://bit.ly/DPPContactOnline
Email: [email protected]
Call: 101
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or speech impaired text the non-emergency number on 07811 311 908

In an emergency, always call 999.

*If you feel you need support in contacting police, there are organisations that can help you.

Click here to find them, or search online for Live Fear Free, Women’s Aid or the National Stalking Helpline – all of which have free helplines available.

Business

UK Government Invests in Gigabit Broadband for South West Wales

Published

23 hours ago

January 29, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE UK GOVERNMENT has announced a further investment in Project Gigabit, aiming to deliver high-speed broadband to hard-to-reach areas across Britain. Rural towns and villages in South West Wales are among the latest to benefit, as part of a wider effort to achieve near-total gigabit coverage by 2030.

The programme, a key pillar of the Government’s Plan for Change, is designed to stimulate economic growth and remove barriers to opportunity. The latest rollout will bring some of the fastest broadband speeds available to remote communities, enhancing access to essential services such as healthcare, remote education, and video communication. It is also expected to support business growth and improve job opportunities for young people.

Welsh leaders welcome investment

Cllr Hazel Evans, of Carmarthenshire County Council, welcomed the announcement, saying: “This is a much-needed boost as we strive to improve digital connectivity across Carmarthenshire. Further investment will help ensure our rural communities continue to prosper as we transition towards a more digital society.”

Rob Stewart, Leader of Swansea Council and Chair of the Swansea Bay City Deal’s joint committee, also praised the initiative:

“This is fantastic news for the rural communities in our region. The Swansea Bay City Deal fully supports initiatives that improve the lives of people and businesses. This investment in digital infrastructure will create social and economic opportunities for communities that would otherwise be left behind.”

£289 million boost for broadband expansion

The announcement forms part of four new contracts worth over £289 million, aimed at delivering gigabit-capable broadband to approximately 131,000 homes and businesses across England and Wales.

Unlike traditional copper-based networks, gigabit connections provide faster and more reliable service, even during peak times. Households and businesses will no longer need to compete for bandwidth, as these high-speed networks allow multiple devices to operate seamlessly.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the significance of the investment: “Powered by this UK Government funding, thousands more people and businesses across Wales will gain access to ultra-fast broadband. Our priority is to drive sustained economic growth, and to achieve this, we must ensure every part of Wales has full digital coverage as quickly as possible.”

Implementation and next steps

The Digital Infrastructure Programme is working closely with Building Digital UK (BDUK) and Openreach to deliver Project Gigabit. Further regional updates are expected in the coming months, outlining timeframes and specific locations set to benefit.

Upgrading and expanding existing networks is a complex process, requiring technical surveys and coordination between commercial providers and local authorities, including planning and highways departments. As a result, implementing gigabit-capable broadband can take time.

For further details about broadband plans in your area, residents are encouraged to contact their Digital Champion for more information.