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£1.25m town centre cash for Port to develop ‘private rented accommodation’

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stores2AN EXAMINATION of the minutes of the meeting of a key council committee that took place in June reveals that the Milford Haven Town Centre Regeneration Scheme, for which the county council secured funding from the Welsh Government, was focused on the improvement, repair, and refit of the former Motorworld building in the town’s Charles Street until at least June this year.

However, during the meeting of the council’s Economy Overview and Scrutiny Committee, not a single councillor mentioned Milford Haven at all, and, while the other five towns targeted for town centre regeneration had a number of projects as part of plans affecting them, the only item under consideration for the whole of Milford Haven’s town centre was the former Motorworld building.

And while the committee ‘noted progress’ it is impossible to ascertain what progress had been made regarding Milford Haven – if any – as it is barely referenced – other than on one line listing the Charles Street building – in the report councillors received.

plan
The funding intended to regenerate the town centre has now been directed to the controversial Masterplan submitted by the Milford Haven Port Authority, with the council directing the funding that should have gone to the town centre to the Port’s plans for the Old Quay Stores.

The fact that the Port development is not related to the town centre of Milford Haven is shown by the content of the original planning report on the Port Masterplan, which states “The application describes the development as delivering a new commercial and leisure quarter for Milford Haven, a distinctive place with its own unique character and revitalising the fishing port and leisure marina.”

And, in relation to the proposed retail development of the docks, the same report draws a firm distinction between the port and the town centre: “The proposed food and non-food retail stores will be within walking distance of the town centre. Indeed, the proposals are between, and adjacent to, two parcels of the defined town centre…. It has been concluded that there will be only a limited impact on the town centre and there is a lack of suitable alternative sites within the town centre.”

Bearing in mind the ‘limited impact’ on the town centre of the proposed retail development, it is difficult to make the idea that town centre regeneration funds should be allocated to the Port as anything other than a considerable stretch, not least as the Port masterplan is keen to draw a distinction between the facilities on offer there and those in the town itself.

Moreover, when the council’s Cabinet discussed the matter on September 12, the fact that the Old Quay stores is not part of the town centre is demonstrated by the preamble to its discussion in the Cabinet papers: “Following a meeting with Milford Haven Port Authority, an application has been submitted to assist with the start of the delivery of their Masterplan. The focus of the bid will be the Quay Stores building and adjacent land, which will assist with connecting the town centre with the marina.”

The development shown on the Masterplan for that building is a hotel. However, the plan discussed and approved by Cabinet for the location is to provide private rented accommodation.

There appears to be the familiar signs of a hasty re-jig of policies against a timetable that has become tight due to council inertia, and warnings were given at the Cabinet meeting on September 12 that there was a deadline imminent for drawing down the funds. The details of the meeting between the county council at the Port Authority which apparently stitched up the deal were not before the Cabinet and remain unpublished.

Neil Jenkins, Destination Director at the Port of Milford Haven, said: “The Port of Milford Haven has applied for the maximum loan amount of £1.25m from the Welsh Government Town Centre Loan Fund to assist with the redevelopment of the Quay Stores building, a listed building within the Port’s property portfolio. Under the terms of the loan scheme the sum would be repaid over five years.

“If the application is approved, detailed planning permission would be sought from Pembrokeshire County Council, along with listed building consent. Subject to gaining the necessary consents and entering into tenancy agreements, work would hopefully start on site in 2017.”

 

5 Comments

5 Comments

  1. Ben

    September 20, 2016 at 3:50 pm

    So to summarise….. there’s a sum of money available as a loan that had not, to date, been allocated (presumably not applied for). It has now been allocated (applied for) to assist a going concern and will be paid back within 5 years?

    I don’t get it. What am i missing? (Apart from good local news stories)

  2. Lorraine Turner

    September 20, 2016 at 5:47 pm

    I think the story, Ben, is that funds were set aside for Town Centre regeneration and, due to “council inertia” and an impending deadline for spending the funds, they have been hastily shifted to a project not technically considered to be in the town centre. I’d like to see a public enquiry into the workings of the councils involved in these deals, because I think Milford Haven is getting neglected beyond repair.

  3. Ben

    September 21, 2016 at 11:10 pm

    This does not make it news. 1. No one in the town centre had applied for soft loans to date (why not?) and 2. The terms of the loan appear to clearly state that applications may be considered from sites adjacent to the town centre if there is likely to be benefit to the surrounding area. So it seems to conform on all fronts to terms. No drama; no scandal; no story.

    What would a public enquiry uncover? The world won’t help us unless we help ourselves.

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    January 5, 2026 at 9:36 pm

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    January 5, 2026 at 9:43 pm

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Crime

Four youths stabbed at Tenby railway station as two arrested

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British Transport Police lead investigation after serious disorder involving group of youths

FOUR youths suffered stab wounds during a major incident at Tenby railway station on Tuesday night (Apr 7), police have confirmed.

Emergency services were called to reports of serious disorder involving a group of youths at around 9:50pm. The Herald was at the scene as a major response unfolded, with at least four ambulances and around 15 police cars and vans sent to the area.

Video circulating on social media appeared to show a number of children involved in a fracas on the railway platform. In footage seen by The Herald, at least one youth could be heard saying he had been stabbed.

In a statement issued shortly after midnight, a Dyfed-Powys Police spokesperson said: “Dyfed-Powys Police were called to reports of serious disorder involving a group of youths at Tenby train station at approx. 9.50pm this evening (Tuesday, April 7). During the incident, an individual was in possession of a knife, which resulted in four youths sustaining stab wounds.”

Police said all injuries are currently assessed as non-life-threatening and those affected are receiving appropriate medical treatment.

Officers attended the scene promptly and a 16-year-old youth and a 19-year-old man were arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault. Both remain in police custody.

Dyfed-Powys Police said British Transport Police have primacy for the incident and are leading enquiries.

The force added that the incident has now been brought under control and that the scene is secure. There will remain an increased police presence in the area to provide reassurance.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information that could help the enquiry is asked to contact British Transport Police online, call 0800 40 50 40, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

 

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News

Major emergency response in Tenby after incident near train station

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Witnesses report injuries as police and ambulance crews remain at scene on Warren Street

POLICE and ambulance crews remain at the scene of a major incident in Tenby tonight.

The incident is understood to have taken place at around 9:30pm on Tuesday (Apr 7) near Tenby railway station. This picture was taken from Warren Street looking towards the station.

Witnesses reported seeing around 15 police cars and vans at the scene, along with multiple ambulances. Emergency vehicles were still arriving as of 10:30pm.

A witness told The Herald that a number of young people were involved and that some people appeared to have been injured following the incident.

There has not yet been any official confirmation from the emergency services about the nature of the injuries or exactly what happened.

However, the scale of the response suggests the incident is serious.

The Herald has contacted the police for comment.

 

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News

White House defends Trump after Herald asks about Iran remarks

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US response fails to answer legal question over threats to bridges, power stations and desalination plants

THE WHITE HOUSE has defended President Donald Trump after The Pembrokeshire Herald asked whether international law would constrain any US military action following his remarks about bombing bridges, power stations and desalination plants in Iran.

In response to a question sent by this newspaper on Friday (Apr 3), a White House Press Office spokeswoman issued a strongly worded statement attacking the Iranian regime, but did not directly address the legal point raised by The Herald.

She said: “The Iranian regime has committed egregious human rights abuses against its own citizens for 47 years, just murdered tens of thousands of protestors in January, and has indiscriminately targeted civilians across the region in order to cause as much death as possible throughout this conflict.

“As President Trump said, Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, and the Iranian people welcome the sound of bombs because it means their oppressors are losing.

“The President will always stand with innocent civilians while annihilating the terrorists responsible for threatening our country and the entire world with a nuclear weapon. Greater destruction can be avoided if the regime understands the seriousness of this moment and makes a deal with the United States.”

The Herald had asked whether the President believed international humanitarian law continued to apply in light of protections for civilian infrastructure and facilities essential to civilian survival.

The newspaper also asked the White House to set out the legal basis on which such threats or actions would be considered lawful.

No direct legal justification was provided in the response.

Instead, the White House framed the issue as part of a wider effort to pressure Iran over its nuclear ambitions and its conduct in the region.

The exchange follows President Trump’s public remarks about striking key Iranian infrastructure, which have prompted wider scrutiny over whether such targets would be lawful under the rules of armed conflict.

The White House statement, however, offered no further explanation of how threats against bridges, power stations or desalination plants could be reconciled with international legal protections for civilian sites.

That omission is likely to fuel further questions over the administration’s position, particularly as tensions continue to rise.

 

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