The future’s bright: The Milford Dock Master Plan an investment to create local jobs and economic growth in Milford Haven

THE PORT of Milford Haven has begun a wide reaching survey called Your Port, Your Community in order to understand current perceptions and expectations amongst all its stakeholders, which includes anyone who uses or is connected to the Port, or whose livelihood and welfare may be dependent on or affected by the Port. 

Opinions are being sought from individuals, groups and local community representatives throughout the county including local residents, leisure users and business-owners. The previous survey captured valuable feedback that informed a strategy to focus on tourism, growing the fishery industry, encouraging more cruise ships and the provision of boat trips.

An independent group – the Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum- is conducting the survey and will be feeding back findings to the Port to inform decision-makers who are planning the Port’s future. The survey is available in printed format and also online at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Perceptionsurvey2014

Mark Andrews, corporate affairs director at the Port, said: “This survey helps us gain vital feedback from our community. It is important to us that all of our stakeholders have a clear understanding of our activities. The Milford Haven Waterway is supporting around 5,000 jobs in Wales; 4,000 of those jobs are highly skilled, well-paid jobs within Pembrokeshire, which amounts to 40% of total employment around the Port”.

The Port of Milford Haven is a Trust Port, which means it has no shareholders and is an independent commercial entity financing its operations out of retained profit and cash flow.

Mr Andrews added “All of our profits are reinvested in the business for the benefit of our stakeholders. In recent times it has become evident that we need to diversify the business in order to offset fluctuations in the energy market. That is why we are very focused on our assets at Pembroke Port and Milford Dock. We are looking at how best to use those assets to attract further investment to Pembrokeshire, bringing with it more job opportunities for local people”.

A similar survey conducted in 2009 revealed that local communities valued the Port’s various commercial activities with some suggestions to provide additional support to the local fishing fleet at Milford Dock. Since then the Port has been developing ideas to improve facilities at Milford Dock in order to help grow this sector and add value to fish products landed locally.

91% of people surveyed in 2009 also indicated that they considered tourism as important for the economic wellbeing of waterway communities and nearly half of those felt that the Port had a role to play in promoting tourism.  Last year the Port strengthened its marketing resource with the recruitment of a marketing manager and marketing executive whose roles are specifically to market the commercial activities at Pembroke Port and Milford Dock.  The Port is confident that these important changes will result in tourism playing a much larger role in the Milford Haven and Pembrokeshire economy.

Please complete the survey by July 4. If you would like a hard copy please contact Anna Malloy, PR and Communications Officer for the Port, on 01646 696156 or email [email protected] or simply follow this link and take the survey online: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Perceptionsurvey2014