News

£100m Pembroke Dock development cancelled

Published

8 years ago

December 23, 2016

Robert Ware: Conygar boss had to make ‘difficult’ decision

THE PROMISED £100 million development of the Pembroke Dock Waterfront is off. In a surprise bombshell, buried in its interim financial report to the London Stock Exchange, The Conygar Investment Company has pulled out of a proposed Pembroke Dock development and written off its £4.8m investment in the project.

The company said that the cost of constructing the marina at the site would be ‘considerably greater’ than first thought, with the figure rising to £17m from its original £8m estimate.

It said the land-based element of the scheme remained viable and it had secured a number of retailers for the scheme. However, it had been refused permission to separate the two elements and taken the decision to withdraw its investment as a result.

The announcement seems to have taken everyone involved by surprise.

A spokesman for Pembrokeshire County Council said: “It is with great regret that the client group – comprising The Port of Milford Haven, Pembrokeshire County Council and the Welsh Government – has learnt of the decision by Conygar to withdraw from the marina development at Pembroke Dock.”

The spokesman added: “We are awaiting further details and anticipate making a more detailed response in the New Year.”

A question to the council asking if they had been made aware of the developer’s decision before being contacted by The Herald was met with no response.

Conygar announced the move in its results for the year to September 30, 2016. It posted a pre-tax loss of £4.74m for the period, down from a £7.75m profit the previous year. Revenue was £9.44m, compared to £11m in 2014/15.

Chief Executive Robert Ware said in his report: “The reason for this fall was the write off of our investment at Pembroke Dock, which amounts to £4.8 million, or 6.2p per share. This was a difficult decision but we felt that it was necessary given the problems we have faced at this site over the past year.”

He also said: “Despite the current political and economic uncertainties, our investment property portfolio has performed well and we expect this to continue in the short to medium term.

“At the same time, we are pushing the development projects forward and we anticipate that construction work will begin at a number of the sites this year in addition to the ongoing works at Cross Hands. We see the development pipeline as the main driver of shareholder growth in the medium term and this will be a major focus for the group in the coming years.”

During the year, the company acquired a 9.96 acre site from Sainsbury’s at Cross Hands for £2.25m, and the 203-acre freehold of the former gas storage facility near Rhosgoch, Anglesey, for £3m.

The company says that it has now completed infrastructure works on its development in Haverfordwest and started construction of its Cross Hands scheme.

At the time of going to press, Milford Haven Port Authority, a ‘client group’ partner in the development, had not responded.

Planning permission was approved by Pembrokeshire County Council in February 2008. The Martello Quays project was to include up to 260 marina berths and associated car parking; marine workshops and a chandlery; 450 houses and apartments; a new public promenade; shops; a pub and restaurant; a hotel; and a five-screen multiplex cinema. The scheme has been presented to The Design Commission for Wales, who responded that they supported the proposed use, choice of site and the proposal to create a strong and robust design code for ensuring a quality development.

News

2024 Sport Pembrokeshire Awards Finalists announced

Published

2 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

THE finalists for the 2024 Sport Pembrokeshire Awards have been announced.

In total, 252 nominations were received and, following a selection meeting, the judging panel has named 39 finalists.

Matt Freeman, Manager of Sport Pembrokeshire, said: “I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to provide nominations.

“Every year it gets harder to narrow the nominations down to three finalists and once again the quality of the nominees was enormously high.

“The number and quality of nominees just shows the strength of the sporting scene here in Pembrokeshire.

All the finalists will be invited to a grand presentation ceremony at Folly Farm on Friday, November 29th, where the winners will be announced.

The ceremony will also reveal the winners of two further categories – the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Chairman’s Special Achievement Award.

The awards are organised by Sport Pembrokeshire, Pembrokeshire County Council’s sport development team.

They are sponsored by Sport Pembrokeshire, Valero, Folly Farm and Pure West Radio.

The awards aim to recognise those people who have excelled in sport over the last 12 months, or who have given their time to coaching and organising grass roots sport.

Sport Pembrokeshire Awards 2024 – Finalists

(In alphabetical order)

Coach of the Year

Francesca Morgan (Swimming)

Philippa Gale (Netball)

Tom Richards (Tennis)

Female Sporting Achievement

Gracie Griffiths (Race Walking)

Helen Carrington (Powerlifting)

Seren Thorne (Shooting)

Male Sporting Achievement

Jeremy Cross (Tennis)

Rhys Llewellyn (Athletics)

Sam Coleman (Powerboat Racing)

Boys (U16) Sporting Achievement

Carter Heywood (Football)

Hugo Boyce (Cycling)

Ned Rees-Wigmore (Hockey)

Girls (U16) Sporting Achievement

Cerys Griffiths (Swimming)

Chloe John-Driscoll (Shooting)

Ffion Bowen (Football)

Disability Sport Award

Evelyn Thomas (Powerlifting)

Jules King (Crossfit)

Marc Evans (Cricket)

Junior (U16) Disability Sport Award

Finnley Walters (Boxing)

Jac Johnson (Gymnastics)

Lewis Crawford (Boccia)

Unsung Hero

John Laugharne (Rugby)

Owen Shanklin (Pool)

Sue Christopher (Surf Lifesaving)

Team Achievement of the Year

Alan Evans, Andrew Evans & Michael John (Short Mat Bowls)

Fishguard & Goodwick Ladies Hockey Club

Pembrokeshire County Bowls Team

Junior (U16) Team Achievement of the Year

Chaos Thunder U12’s Netball Team

Hakin United AFC u16’s

Neyland Yacht Club Junior Sailing Team

Young Volunteer of the Year

Anna May (Tennis & Surfing)

Caitlin Chapman (Netball)

George Richards (Cricket)

Club Organiser

Nadine Tyrrell (Gymnastics)

Nick Shelmerdine (Cricket)

Paul Hudson (Short Mat Bowls)

Club of the Year

Camrose AFC Women & Girls Football

Haverfordwest Gymnastics Club

Strength Academy Wales Cymru

Pictured above: The 2023 Club of the Year winner – Pembroke Cricket Club.

Crime

Man jailed for Pembroke Dock cannabis farm involvement

Published

5 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Madeline Knox

AN ALBANIAN man, Armando Beti, 37, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison at Swansea Crown Court on Friday (Nov 15) for his role in producing class B drugs.

Beti, who has prior convictions in 2022 and 2023, was arrested on October 3, 2024, at 10:00am after police found him hiding in a neighbouring building’s attic. The arrest followed a raid on the former Woolworths building on Dimond Street, Pembroke Dock, where officers discovered three rooms containing 594 cannabis plants. The crop was described as part of a wholesale operation, with an estimated street value of between £64,000 and £196,000, depending on yield.

Using an aerial drone, police tracked Beti as he attempted to escape by crossing two rooftops. He pleaded guilty immediately after his capture, claiming the cannabis farm was already operational when he arrived 10 days earlier. Beti described himself as merely the gardener, tasked with watering the plants, and alleged he was coerced into the role by individuals he met at an immigration detention centre to repay a debt.

Beti’s defence counsel stated: “He is under no illusion regarding the seriousness of his offending. He is eager to start his prison sentence so he can ultimately reunite with his wife in Albania.”

However, Judge Geraint Walters rejected Beti’s claims, citing a pattern of similar excuses in previous cases. The judge noted that Beti had been convicted in Cardiff in 2022 for cultivating over 600 cannabis plants, during which he also claimed to be a coerced gardener with little knowledge of the operation.

In delivering the sentence, Judge Walters said: “People like you need to understand that judges are not completely naive. We know what is going on. We are well aware of the activities of criminal Albanian gangs in this country, as are you.”

Police believe the operation uncovered in Pembroke Dock is linked to a wider network of organised crime targeting rural locations for cannabis cultivation.

Community

Pembs Agricultural Society’s Christmas Fair expands to an all-weekend event

Published

8 hours ago

November 15, 2024

Tom Sinclair

PEMBROKESHIRE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY’S Christmas Fair will be an all-weekend event next month. The Christmas shopping extravaganza is all set to take place on Saturday, 14 December as well as Sunday, 15 December.

The Parkhouse building on the Haverfordwest Showground will be transformed into a Christmas paradise. There will be even more stalls this year with a wide variety of quality local businesses exhibiting as well as festive music, Santa in his Grotto and an outdoor food court.

Judith Roach and Emma Thomas, the event organisers, said, “We are excited to be able to announce that our Christmas Fair will be on for two days rather than just one this year. We continue to build on the success of last year’s event with twice the opportunities to attend and even more stallholders. It will be the perfect start to the festive season as the Parkhouse Building will be transformed into a one-stop-shop for those preparing for Christmas.”

The Fair will be open from 10am until 4pm and admission is free. Visitors will find unique gifts, handmade decorations, art and beautiful homeware. Some of the county’s very best food and drink producers will also have stalls to give visitors the opportunity to stock up on all their festive treats. From decadent chocolate brownies, fudge, festive spirits to Welsh cheeses, there’s something to tantalise everyone’s tastebuds. There will also be a range of outlets for ‘on the go’ eating and drinking.

One special guest at the event will be everyone’s favourite bearded gentleman in red – Santa will be taking time out from his busy schedule to attend the event. There will be a charge of £3 per child to visit Santa and all proceeds will go directly to Sandy Bear charity to support their work. Each child will receive a small gift from Santa as part of their visit. Parents can book in advance via the website: www.sandybear.co.uk/santa

Adam Thorne, Pembrokeshire Agricultural Society’s President is looking forward to the festive event. He said, “The Society would like to thank Judith and Emma for all the hours they have put in, voluntarily, to organise the two-day Christmas event. We’re delighted to be able to offer visitors the opportunity to do all their Christmas shopping whilst enjoying the festive atmosphere.”

Follow Pembrokeshire County Show’s Christmas Fair event page on Facebook for a full list of stallholders in the run up to the event.