News

Council will ‘use powers if necessary’ to improve High St

Published

4 years ago

February 16, 2022

PEMBROKESHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL will use its powers, when necessary, to help improve the condition of some buildings in Haverfordwest’s High Street.

Numerous complaints have been made to councillors about the state of some of the town’s shops, some of which are empty and/or in need of repairs.

Speaking at a meeting of the Cabinet on Monday, February 14, Cllr Paul Miller said that they would not be afraid to use the powers available to them, if it came to that.

He told the meeting of a number of initiatives which the council has already undertaken and said that the regeneration of Haverfordwest was one of the council’s main priorities.

The Council now owns the Riverside Shopping Centre and is also looking to demolish the multi-storey car park and replace it with a new one.

Cllr Miller said he was confident that by putting money into the town centre, it would encourage the private sector to do so as well.

He said: “We’ve made this a priority as an administration and we’ve made significant efforts to support the transformation and transform the fortunes of Haverfordwest.

“A planning decision is imminent in relation to the demolition and re-provision of the multi-storey car park and transport interchange and that’s all about making visiting the town more easier, more convenient, more welcoming.

“We now own the Riverside Shopping centre and occupancy has risen since we have secured that site and we’ve also secured some important service tenants.

“Based on our current projections we’re going to be a long way from our worst case scenario and in the financial year 21/22 we’d expect to see a surplus equal to around 30% of the council’s contribution to the purchase in the first place.

“We’re committed also to more than £20m investment in linking the castle with the town, that’s a new iconic pedestrian crossing of the river and new arcade through Bridge Street to directly link the castle and it’s the regeneration of the castle itself to create event space.

“In relation to the High Street, we’ve designated the High Street as an intervention area for the latest realms of grant support, including the Welsh Government’s targeting and investment programme. That scheme includes support for residential units in town centres and commercial property improvement grants.

“We recently awarded significant grant awards under the programme for both Haverfordwest and Pembroke.

“It’s important to note that those activities are already underway so I am genuinely convinced that we’re doing everything we possibly can to support the transformation and regeneration of Haverfordwest.”

Cllr Miller also said he had spoken to someone who was looking at purchasing a building on High Street and said he was determined to make Haverfordwest something that people can be proud of.

He went on to say there may be some occasions who don’t want to do any work on their buildings but said that they would not be afraid to use their powers if it came to that.

Cllr Tom Tudor said he had had ‘years of complaints’ about High Street and that it was reassuring that the use of specialist powers to ensure that property owners do bring their ‘houses in order’.

Cllr Jon Harvey said it was a problem in most towns and said that putting money into town centres could only be ‘beneficial’.

News

BBC apologises to Herald’s editor for inaccurate story

Published

1 hour ago

December 4, 2025

Staff Writer

THE BBC has issued a formal apology and amended a six-year-old article written by BBC Wales Business Correspondent Huw Thomas after its Executive Complaints Unit ruled that the original headline and wording gave an “incorrect impression” that Herald editor Tom Sinclair was personally liable for tens of thousands of pounds in debt.

The 2019 report, originally headlined “Herald newspaper editor Tom Sinclair has £70,000 debts”, has now been changed.

The ECU found: “The wording of the article and its headline could have led readers to form the incorrect impression that the debt was Mr Sinclair’s personal responsibility… In that respect the article failed to meet the BBC’s standards of due accuracy.”

Mr Sinclair said: “I’m grateful to the ECU for the apology and for correcting the personal-liability impression that caused real harm for six years. However, the article still links the debts to ‘the group which publishes The Herald’ when in fact they related to printing companies that were dissolved two years before the Herald was founded in 2013. I have asked the BBC to add that final clarification so the record is completely accurate.”

A formal apology and correction of this kind from the BBC is extremely rare, especially for a story more than six years old.

Business

First wind turbine components arrive as LNG project moves ahead

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE FIRST ship carrying major components for Dragon LNG’s new onshore wind turbines
docked at Pembroke Port yesterday afternoon last week, marking the start of physical
deliveries for the multi-million-pound renewable energy project.

The Maltese-registered general cargo vessel Peak Bergen berthed at Pembroke Dock on
shortly after 4pm on Wednesday 26th November, bringing tower sections and other heavy
components for the three Enercon turbines that will eventually stand on land adjacent to the
existing gas terminal at Waterston.

A second vessel, the Irish-flagged Wilson Flex IV, has arrived in Pembroke Port today is
due to arrive in the early hours of this morning (Thursday) carrying the giant rotor blades.
The deliveries follow a successful trial convoy on 25 November, when police-escorted low-
loader trailers carried dummy loads along the planned route from the port through
Pembroke, past Waterloo roundabout and up the A477 to the Dragon LNG site.

Dragon LNG’s Community and Social Performance Officer, Lynette Round, confirmed the
latest movements in emails to the Herald.

“The Peak Bergen arrived last week yesterday with the first components,” she said. “We are
expecting another delivery tomorrow (Thursday) onboard the Wilson Flex IV. This will be
blades and is currently showing an ETA of approximately 03:30.”

The £14.3 million project, approved by Welsh Ministers last year, will see three turbines with
a combined capacity of up to 13.5 MW erected on company-owned land next to the LNG
terminal. Once operational – expected in late 2026 – they will generate enough electricity to
power the entire site, significantly reducing its carbon footprint.

Port of Milford Haven shipping movements showed the Peak Bergen approaching the Haven
throughout Wednesday morning before finally tying up at the cargo berth in Pembroke Dock.

Cranes began unloading operations yesterday evening.

The Weather conditions are currently were favourable for this morning’s the arrival of
the Wilson Flex IV, which was tracking south of the Smalls at midnight.

The abnormal-load convoys carrying the components from the port to Waterston are
expected to begin early next year, subject to final police and highway approvals.

A community benefit fund linked to the project will provide training opportunities and energy-
bill support for residents in nearby Waterston, Llanstadwell and Neyland.
Further updates will be issued by Dragon LNG as the Port of Milford Haven as the delivery
programme continues.

Photo: Martin Cavaney

Crime

Banned for 40 months after driving with cocaine breakdown product in blood

Published

4 hours ago

December 4, 2025

Sarah-Jane Absalom

A MILFORD HAVEN woman has been handed a lengthy driving ban after admitting driving with a controlled drug in her system more than ten times over the legal limit.

SENTENCED AT HAVERFORDWEST

Sally Allen, 43, of Wentworth Close, Hubberston, appeared before Haverfordwest Magistrates’ Court on Thursday (Dec 4) for sentencing, having pleaded guilty on November 25 to driving with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the prescribed limit.

The court heard that Allen was stopped on August 25 on the Old Hakin Road at Tiers Cross while driving an Audi A3. Blood analysis showed 509µg/l of Benzoylecgonine, a breakdown product of cocaine. The legal limit is 50µg/l.

COMMUNITY ORDER AND REHABILITATION

Magistrates imposed a 40-month driving ban, backdated to her interim disqualification which began on November 25.

Allen was also handed a 12-month community order, requiring her to complete 10 days of rehabilitation activities as directed by the Probation Service.

She was fined £120, ordered to pay £85 prosecution costs and a £114 surcharge. Her financial penalties will be paid in £25 monthly instalments from January 1, 2026.

The bench—Mrs H Roberts, Mr M Shankland and Mrs J Morris—said her guilty plea had been taken into account when passing sentence.