News

Pembroke regeneration plans are well underway

Published

8 years ago

October 21, 2016

PLANS to regenerate Pembroke were further discussed in the latest meeting of Pembroke Town Council’s Regeneration Committee on Monday (Oct 17).

In light of a series of ‘masterplans across the county’, including Haverfordwest’s multi-million pound riverside and town centre development, Pembroke would appear to be next in line to undergo the regeneration process.

The plans for the project are still very much in preliminary stages. A draft plan has been formulated; however, no specific improvements to the town have been firmly established.

Throughout the meeting, councillors emphasised the need for a consultation process which will engage the ‘whole of the town’ and embrace public discussion, with Cllr Jonathan Nutting adding that decisions could not be made ‘without talking to everyone’.

The draft plans state: “Pembroke Town Centre requires a holistic vision looking at its retail and commercial function, its transport and parking systems, its cultural importance, landscape setting and historic built heritage, its public realm and its role as a workplace.”

Making reference to a previous presentation regarding the proposed masterplan for Pembroke, Mayor of Pembroke, Cllr Dennis Evans, said: “It did inspire a lot of us to think that maybe this is the time for Pembroke.”

Echoing Mayor Evans’ comment, Cllr Pauline Waters added: “It’s our turn out of the major towns in Pembrokeshire.”

While many councillors raised concern over the draft, given that it fails to address Pembroke specifically, and in turn, drew many similarities with the plans used for the regeneration of Haverfordwest, Mayor Dennis Evans emphasised: “This is a plan. This is an opportunity for us to move forward.”

Although the draft is not modelled to Pembroke specifically, there is still a clear set of ‘deliverables’ laid out within it. These include the identification of major development opportunities; early stage projects for immediate delivery and a spatial framework which included measures to focus on retail and town centre activity.

Many councillors used Haverfordwest’s efforts in developing its town centre as a positive point of reference, with some calling for Pembroke to adopt the ‘cultural centre’ approach and using terms such as ‘ideal’ to describe the development of the riverside market. Museums and galleries featured prominently in the discussion, as well as more general ‘cultural areas’.

While Cllr Blackburn acknowledged that Haverfordwest is ‘way down the line’ in its regeneration phase, Cllr Waters emphasised that ‘Haverfordwest didn’t happen overnight’.

With reference to St Michaels Church and St Michaels School, Cllr Waters added: “We have to make the best of what we’ve got, we’ve got some great buildings.”

Other members of the meeting emphasised the need to preserve the town’s heritage and raised the prospect of restoring historic sites, such as the old workhouse.

Cllr Nutting added: “We must protect what we’ve got. We have to say in our plan; these things are important and must be protected.”

Cllr Nutting also stressed that the plan should be presented to Pembrokeshire County Council ‘without emphasis on individual buildings’, and instead present a wide range of thoughts and proposals for Pembroke.

Mayor Dennis Evans subsequently suggested that members of the committee should each comprise a list of key buildings around the town and propose what should be done with them.

While the regeneration of Haverfordwest and the efforts of Pembrokeshire County Council in pushing forward with the plan for Pembroke were praised by many – Cllr Wyn Jenkins emphasised the importance of having ‘the authority in Haverfordwest on our side’ – this viewpoint was not shared unanimously.

Cllr Nutting said: “Pembrokeshire County Council has one thing in mind and that is Haverfordwest… a parochial, provincial market town.”

He added: “Pembroke Dock should not be languishing where it is – the money should have gone there.”

Backtracking on his previous remark, Cllr Nutting stated: “Don’t get me wrong, I love Haverfordwest.

“The more we shout, the more we make ourselves prominent and get what we want.”

Also present at the meeting was local architect Alan Collie, who issued words of warning to those present in the meeting.

Mr Collie warned: “Don’t get tied up with these posh consultancy plans. A lot of it is telling you what you already know but in a much longer form.”

Mr Collie also made reference to the amount of derelict buildings in the town, calling it ‘a disgrace’, something many councillors agreed with.

During the meeting, Cllr Jenkins called for original plans of a Pembroke regeneration, formulated some 30 years ago, to be revisited.

This development, named the Pembroke Maritime Village, would have seen a luxury hotel built on the waterfront of Castle Quarry. By dredging the Pembroke River and constructing lock gates and inlets into the quarry, boats travelling from all over the world would have been able to moor up having come through the main haven in Pennar.

The project would have also included the construction of chalets along the waterfront, as well as minor industry to support the river.

After four years of planning, Pembrokeshire County Council rejected the plans due to a local resident who raised concerns over ‘big industrial works’ being developed. Cllr Jenkins said no such industry was ever planned.

Cllr Jenkins said: “It would have made Pembroke and put it back on the map.”

Reflecting on the failed development, Cllr Jenkins described the situation as a ‘Pembroke problem’, adding ‘we can’t seem to get off the ground’.

Many councillors showed their support for the original plans to be ‘resurrected’, with Cllr Waters adding: “We need to capitalise on the waterways around our town.”

Throughout the meeting, the issue of timescales were also raised. Despite Mayor Dennis Evans having pointed out ‘this is not a quick process’, he, along with other members of the council, emphasised the looming nature of deadlines.

Former Pembroke Town Councillor Jan Gigler also raised the point that minutes for the regeneration meetings were not freely available to the public, something that the committee proved eager to address.

A public meeting was scheduled for 7pm on November 8 at Pembroke Town Hall. All local residents are encouraged to attend.

Community

Officials announced for 2026 Eisteddfod in Pembrokeshire

Published

23 seconds ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD returns to Pembrokeshire in 2026, and organisers have named the officials who will steer this major cultural event over the next year and a half.

With the artistic and local committees already established, meetings to finalise competitions and adjudicators are underway to ensure the List of Competitions is ready by spring. Committee members have also been voting over the past weeks to elect key officials for the Executive Committee.

John Davies, former leader of Pembrokeshire County Council, has been appointed Chair of the Executive Committee. Known for his deep connection to Pembrokeshire and extensive experience with national organisations, Davies aims to make the Eisteddfod a true community event, welcoming involvement from all corners of the region.

Tegryn Jones, Chief Executive of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, takes on the role of Deputy Chair (Strategy). With a strong passion for Welsh culture and language, Jones brings a wealth of experience working with local communities, visitors, and volunteers across three counties.

Deputy Chair (Culture) is Carys Ifan, Director of Canolfan Egin and a seasoned cultural organiser. Based in Llangrannog and originally from Llandudoch, Ifan has led numerous artistic and community projects across the region.

Cris Tomos, a community development veteran with over 30 years of experience, will lead the 2026 Eisteddfod Local Fund. Working with PLANED, a community development charity, Tomos has supported countless community enterprises and co-operatives in Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion, and Carmarthenshire.

Non Davies, recently elected as Executive Committee Secretary, brings extensive cultural management expertise as Ceredigion County Council’s Corporate Manager for Culture. Having chaired the Cardigan Local Fund Committee for the 2022 Ceredigion Eisteddfod, Davies is well-versed in managing cultural projects.

National Eisteddfod Chief Executive, Betsan Moses, said: “We’re looking forward to working with John and the team over the next few months as we prepare for the 2026 Eisteddfod.

“There’s almost a quarter of a century since the Eisteddfod was last held in Pembrokeshire, and we’re very much looking forward to returning to the area. 2026 is an important year for us as we celebrate 850 years since the first Eisteddfod was held in Cardigan Castle in 1176.

“We’re looking forward to working in a new way within a catchment area which includes parts of another two counties, which is, of course, a chance to work with local people in Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire again.”

Further announcements are expected in the coming weeks, including the sale of competition prizes and opportunities to donate the Crown and the Chair.

The National Eisteddfod will be held in Llantood from August 1–8, 2026.

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

41 mins ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

CAMPAIGNERS are calling on the Welsh Government to introduce the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system for local elections, following moves by two councils to shift away from the First Past the Post (FPTP) system being blocked on technical grounds.

Yesterday (Nov 14), Ceredigion Council voted narrowly, with an 18 to 17 majority, in favor of adopting STV. This follows Gwynedd Council’s decision last month, where 65% of councillors backed the move. However, both councils have been prevented from implementing STV due to a requirement for a two-thirds majority under the Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021.

In recent consultations, public support for STV has been overwhelming, with over 70% in Gwynedd and 67% in Ceredigion favoring the change. Only Powys Council rejected the proposal, despite 60.5% of its respondents supporting STV. Campaigners argue that the current system deprives voters of representation, citing that over 100,000 people were denied a vote in the 2022 elections due to uncontested seats.

The Electoral Reform Society Cymru (ERS Cymru) highlights the contrast with Scotland, where the introduction of STV for local elections in 2007 has significantly reduced uncontested seats. According to ERS Cymru, Scotland has had fewer uncontested seats in the last four elections combined than Gwynedd Council recorded alone in 2022.

Jess Blair, Director of ERS Cymru, said:

“Decisions made in council chambers affect everyone in those areas, so every vote should count. It’s absurd that councils choosing STV are blocked by a technicality, leaving them stuck with an outdated system that denies representation to thousands. The Welsh Government must act to avoid repeating the undemocratic outcomes of the last elections.”

Campaigners are now calling on the Welsh Government to introduce STV across all councils in Wales, ensuring representation that reflects the electorate’s wishes.

Business

Upgrades completed at Port of Milford Haven’s simulator suite

Published

1 hour ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

UPGRADES have been completed to state-of-the-art equipment within the Port of Milford Haven’s navigation simulator suite at Milford Waterfront enabling marine professionals to receive bespoke specialist training. The virtual reality simulation system can safely replicate a range of scenarios that seafarers may experience in real world situations such as extreme weather conditions, emergency situations and escort tug work.

The upgrades provided by Netherlands-based company MARIN contain the latest hardware in terms of processing power and graphics, as well as upgrades to MARIN’s ‘Dolphin’ software, increasing the capability to create scenarios. These are complemented with new 4k visuals on 75” screens which increase the depth and field of vision, adding to the realism.

Recently, a training day was led by Training Pilot Captain Mark Johnson, assisted by ex-Pilot Andy Hillier, involving members of the Svitzer team as well as Pilots Matt Roberts and Ian Coombes. As part of the scenario, they were faced with a loss of engine power and steering along with worsening weather and sea conditions. The Pilots had to communicate with Svitzer in order to successfully instruct them on how to tow and direct a drifting tanker. While scenarios like these are uncommon within port operations, it is important to rehearse procedures that would be implemented if they are required and enhances participants’ skill sets.

Marine Pilot and Simulator Instructor, Captain Ewan McNicoll, said “This simulator suite has future proofed our training capabilities, both internally for Pilots and marine staff, but also externally for clients wishing to use the facility, be it for training purposes or research and development. We can create any type of scenario with any type of ship, ranging from practicing ship handling manoeuvres to emergency situations, it really is game changing! Working with our partners at MARIN has been a complete success and I am very proud of our new facility.”

For more information about training at the navigation simulation suite please contact the Port of Milford Haven at [email protected] or 01646 696100.