News

Row over Mustang debts escalating

Published

10 years ago

June 16, 2014

don

A ROW over debts owed by Mustang Marine, the uncertainty over Murco oil refinery, and an ambitious £70m plan for the redevelopment of Milford Docks were the main topics of Milford Haven Port Authority’s annual meeting on Friday (May 30).

The chairman of Milford Haven Port Authority, Peter Jones, told a packed conference suite at the Cleddau Bridge hotel, that 2013 had been “a very difficult year” for the organisation, adding: “The £2.7m hole caused by the collapse of Mustang Marine was a matter of deep regret to us.” With a security guard keeping watch over proceedings, he went on to say that 2014 was set to also be a challenging year due to “the certainty over Murco Oil refinery which accounts for 20% of shipping movements on the haven.” Chief Executive of the authority, Alec Don, took to the podium next. He started off his speech by making his position clear over the failed boat building firm. With a handful of creditors sitting in the audience of the Annual Consultative Meeting he said firmly: “The legal position is that we are not liable for Mustang’s debts. Do we have a responsibility? Yes, we feel we have a responsibility, but not a legal liability.” He added: “We put resources in to help turn Mustang around, but it became clear that it wasn’t just a management problem. Once administration had occurred we worked with the administrator to ensure he could sell parts of the firm to people or new managers who could take those business forward. Mr. Don announced that Milford Haven engineering firm BDS was taking over the dry dock for at least the next five years, and a new firm called Haven Marine Services would be taking over some of the boat repair work. Both of these deals, he said, had secured the employment of some of the former Mustang workers. Bruce Evens, of Evens & Co. Accountants – at the meeting representing creditors of Mustang – took the mic and said that he had help found Haven Marine Services as a community interest company (CIC), but with the idea of putting profits back into a pot for creditors. He said that MHPA had agreed to give £10,000 by way of a grant to the CIC, but Mr. Evans said that MHPA should be doing more. He added: “Perhaps MHPA can find a way to help the community further. The problem that Haven Marine Services is new – making a profit will take time. What the creditors need is more help now. We have just seen that MHPA has got £9m sat in the bank right now.” He added: “Most people think that if it swims like a duck, and if it quacks like a duck, then it is a duck. We have to work together as a county. Many of the creditors did business with Mustang on the understanding that it was a subsidiary of MHPA. Alec Don then told the meeting: “We as the port are not seeking to recover our losses from the CIC, so that assists the CIC to help the local community” later adding: We’re not a charity. We have gone way beyond what any other commercial organisation would have done in terms of making sure that there were the resources around management and other issues to see that opportunity emerge.” He added: “What we had in Mustang was a 50% share, if we wanted a 60% or a 70% share then we would have bought a 60% or a 70% share.” But one creditor was not impressed. Mr Jo Polak of JP Junior Scaffolding, who is owed over £40,000 asked Mr Don one question. He said: “Would you please tell me if you think that the small, local businesses [who were working with Mustang] would have let the credit get so high unless they thought that Mustang was being backed by the Port Authority as a 50% shareholder?” Mr Don answered by saying he did not know what those businesses thought. Mr. Don told the meeting that outline planning permission had been submitted to Pembrokeshire County Council for the Milford Docks Master Plan “today.” He said that the plan, which The Herald has covered in detail in previous weeks, would create 600 jobs. To his critics who have said that the plans are too ambitious Mr. Don said: “We’ll its happening, in fact, we have already started with the Milford Dock Lock project, which itself is a £6m investment for us.” We have a separate article in this edition of The Herald about the master plan. The project, he said, would help develop tourism, leisure and fishing in the county. “The are currently 617 people employed at the port not including the oil refineries.” “Our aim is to increase that to 2000 jobs by 2020” he said. Speaking on the telephone on Wednesday, a spokesman for KO Carpets who are owed £4246 by Mustang Marine for fitting floors and carpets for boats told the Herald that they were “disappointed with the whole affair”

News

Campaigners urge Welsh Government to adopt proportional representation for Local Elections

Published

20 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

60 mins 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.

Business

Thousands of homes in rural Wales gain from faster 4G boost

Published

7 hours ago

November 14, 2024

Tom Sinclair

RURAL Wales is seeing a major upgrade in mobile connectivity, with faster 4G now live in several areas. Seven locations across North, South West, and West Wales are benefitting from new 4G mast upgrades funded by the UK Government’s Shared Rural Network (SRN), aimed at closing the digital gap between rural and urban areas.

The upgrades, which went live on Thursday (Nov 14), bring improved 4G coverage to communities including Bontddu, Llanelltyd, Llanarmon Dyffryn Ceiriog, Penmaenpool, Tabor, Snowdonia National Park, and Bontgoch. Local businesses, emergency services, and residents are expected to benefit from faster internet access, which supports daily communication, business opportunities, and economic growth.

***There is a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties***

Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said: “Fast, reliable connectivity is essential for modern life and should be available from Cardiff to the remotest parts of Wales. Today’s upgrades bring us closer to making this a reality.”

SUPPORTING DIGITAL INCLUSION

As part of the rollout, Peter Kyle and Telecoms Minister Sir Chris Bryant visited Ebbw Vale to discuss digital inclusion with charity and industry leaders. They met with representatives at BGfm, a digital inclusion hub in Blaenau Gwent, to learn about how connectivity impacts daily life in Welsh communities.

Telecoms Minister Bryant said: “We are working tirelessly to make sure rural communities aren’t left behind online.

“These upgrades mean businesses can now operate without connectivity limitations, 999 services are better equipped to respond, and residents and tourists can stay connected across the Welsh countryside.”

ADDRESSING CONNECTIVITY GAPS

An estimated 1.5 million homes across the UK remain without internet access, limiting people’s ability to access essential services such as banking and healthcare. In addition to the SRN upgrades, the Chancellor has allocated over £500 million in next year’s budget for digital infrastructure expansion, targeting these underserved areas.

Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens highlighted the importance of this investment, particularly for rural Wales, where fast, reliable internet can be transformative.

“Connectivity is critical for day-to-day life in rural areas – from supporting local businesses to ensuring emergency services are just a call away,” Stevens said.

The upgraded masts, previously limited to EE customers and emergency 999 calls, now serve a wider user base, bringing essential internet access to more people without requiring new infrastructure.

Ben Roome, CEO of Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, said: “With the activation of five new SRN sites, Wales is seeing the tangible benefits of the Shared Rural Network, bringing crucial connectivity to rural communities.”

GOVERNMENT INVESTMENT IN REMOTE WALES

The improvements come alongside a £170 million agreement with Openreach to provide gigabit-capable broadband to 70,000 remote Welsh properties, helping future-proof digital access in even the most isolated locations.

The latest upgrades mark another step in the Government’s mission to improve mobile coverage and close the connectivity gap across Wales, creating opportunities and supporting economic growth across rural communities.