Business
Green energy investment from the Wales Pension Partnership
THE WALES PENSION PARTNERSHIP (WPP), a collaboration of the local government pension schemes in Wales, will invest around £68m into onshore wind Energy Parks being developed by Welsh renewable energy business Bute Energy.
Based in the centre of Cardiff, Bute Energy is making the Welsh weather work for Wales, developing onshore wind projects that will generate clean, green energy, supporting the Welsh Government’s target for electricity to be 100% renewable by 2035.
Bute Energy has a vision of a healthier, wealthier Wales that uses renewable energy generation as a positive power for this and future generations. The company is acting now, taking positive proactive steps to help address the climate emergency and the cost-of-living crisis, while investing in rural communities in Wales to help them have a healthy future.
Councillor Ted Palmer, Chair of the Wales Pension Partnership Joint Governance Committee
“We are at a critical time for society as we attempt to address climate change and the cost-of-living crisis, while creating green, skilled jobs. This investment in Bute Energy projects means that our members are contributing to addressing all of these issues while also retaining the wealth from renewable energy in Wales.
“This will deliver ethical investments and will contribute to the wellbeing of future generations in Wales – as well as meeting Welsh Government targets on local and shared ownership of renewable energy projects.”
Bute Energy’s Energy Parks and electricity grid projects are expected to attract up to £3bn of direct investment into Wales, delivering a material boost for economic growth and employment for the Welsh economy. The projects will generate jobs during their construction phase and skilled long-term jobs during their operational phase, at locations across Wales. In addition, we expect that Wales will also benefit from a significant number of indirect jobs associated with such investment.
Once operational, the Energy Parks are expected to deliver approximately £800m of Community Benefit Funding to the communities living closest to the projects and will generate enough clean, green electricity to offset more than 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions a year – equivalent to c.7% of Wales’s total greenhouse gas emissions.
Oliver Millican, Chairman of the Bute Energy Group said: “We’re delighted to welcome this public sector investment in renewable energy in Wales. Public sector workers across the country are investing in projects that will generate clean, green energy that homes, businesses, schools and hospitals will need in the future. They arenot only investing in their future, but also the health and wellbeing of future generations in Wales.
“At Bute Energy our ambition is to power Wales with clean green energy, and empower our communities through investment, jobs, and skills. We share WPP’s values of long term, stable and sustainable investment.
“Just like Wales was at the heart of the first industrial revolution, it has all the natural resources, skills and innovative thinking to lead the Green Revolution. The Welsh Government is determined that the benefit, valueand wealth from this green revolution will come to and stay in Wales and this investment will help to guarantee that.”
The renewable energy projects that WPP is investing in will help deliver clean green energy to the people of Wales and beyond, addressing some of this generation’s biggest challenges and help to create a better world for future generations. This investment will contribute to the Welsh Government’s targets for electricity to be 100% renewable by 2035 and contribute to targets for 1GW of renewable electricity and heat capacity to be locally owned by 2030. There is wide political support in Wales for pension funds to invest in projects that respond to the climate emergency, with a Senedd debate and vote in May 2022 in favour of the divestment of public sector pension schemes from fossil fuels and stronger investment into the renewables sector.
WPP has been advised by independent clean energy asset manager Capital Dynamics and by the law firms TLT LLP and Burges Salmon LLP.
Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), one of Europe’s biggest renewable energy investors, has previously announced that it is investing in the development of Bute Energy’s projects, and, through this transaction, WPP will now become a joint investor alongside CIP in Bute Energy’s Energy Parks.
Business
Rosemarket Dawn Till Dusk golf club 18-hole plans lodged
A CALL to extend a long-established Pembrokeshire golf club, bringing it up to a full 18 holes, has been submitted to county planners.
In the application, Mr and Mrs Young, through agent Preseli Planning Ltd, seek a change of use of land adjoining the Dawn Till Dusk Golf Club, Furze Hill Farm, Bastleford Road, Rosemarket, to form an extension to the existing golf course, along with landscaping and associated works.
A supporting statement through the agent says: “The application seeks full planning permission for the enlargement of the existing golf course to provide an additional six holes, to provide a total of 18 holes.
“The proposal would involve minor landscaping works to the fields and boundaries and the creation of a small number of ponds and bunkers. The extension would be located on land to the west of Furze Hill Farm and on the opposite side of the road to the existing golf course and clubhouse.
“An altered access to the land parcel is proposed as part of this application, which would provide an improved route for users crossing the public highway to avoid conflict with movements at the main entrance.
“The application site exceeds 1ha and therefore the proposal is considered major development necessitating a Pre-Application Consultation prior to formally submitting the planning application to the Local Planning Authority.”
It adds: “The existing golf course has operated in excess of 30 years and is popular with both visitors and locals. Club membership currently stands at approximately 350 and there is demand for enhancing the provisions of the course.
“The applicants’ sons have recently increased their involvement in the enterprise and in recent years wet winter months have necessitated the closure of the course, or parts of it, due to the ground becoming waterlogged, primarily due to the flat nature of the existing course.
“The extension would provide variation to the terrain, providing, dryer conditions, as well as the ability to alternate between the existing and proposed to maintain use, enhancing the viability of the enterprise.”
The application will be considered by Pembrokeshire County Council planners at a later date.
Business
Plans to rebuild arson hit building at farm with one of largest sheep flocks in Wales
A CALL to rebuild a fire-damaged Pembrokeshire farm building, as a family home to help manage one of the largest sheep flocks in Wales, has been submitted to the national park.
In the application to Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, D B Davies and Sons through agent Harries Planning Design Management, with a supporting statement by Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd, seek permission to renovate an existing fire-damaged dwelling, together with the conversion and extension of outbuildings to form an agricultural worker’s dwelling at Mynydd Du, Rosebush.
The supporting statement through Reading Agricultural Consultants Ltd says Mynydd Du is part of a wider holding which includes Eisteddfa Fawr and land around the village of Brynberian, the farms approximately six km apart, with land under control of the applicant amounting to some 1,500 acres, with a further 3,000 acres of Preseli mountain common land also used; the land accommodating a 5,000-ewe flock with 10 suckler cows and followers.
It says DB Davies & Sons Unlimited, has five partners: the two Davies brothers, Berian and Ken; their wives; and Berian’s son, Dyfed.
Berian and Ken are in their late 70s, with most of the heavy work on the farm is undertaken by Dyfed.
Dyfed and his wife Megan are first language Welsh speakers, living some 10 km away in Nevern, while Berian and Ken, and their wives, live at Eisteddfa Fawr, Brynberian.
The dwelling at Mynydd Du, where most sheep are now wintered, is structurally sound and repairable but has been unoccupied since 1990, and was subject to arson circa 2013, the statement says.
It says Dyfed works full-time on the farm, alone with increasing frequency as the older business members are above retirement age, working “long hours out of necessity to undertake all the work associated with one of the largest flocks of sheep in Wales”.
“His working hours are extended further due to the fact that he lives remote (6kms) from the main block of land at Tyllosg, where Mynydd Du is situated in the centre of the farm. Travelling back and forth several times each day during lambing and other times during poor weather, to check on flock welfare is an arduous task and can be dangerous, particularly if driving when tired during inclement conditions.”
The statement adds: “The application seeks permission to repair the fire damaged dwelling at Mynydd Du and bring it back to serve a useful purpose to enable Dyfed to closely monitor the ewes, not only at lambing, but throughout the year when the flock is grazing on the adjacent common land.
“It will also enable Dyfed to be with his partner and young child on a more regular basis than simply at the end of a long day when he is away from their current home, tending the sheep at Mynydd Du.”
The application will be considered by park planners at a later date.
Business
Herald expands sales team as Milford Haven growth drives demand
THE PEMBROKEHIRE HERALD is launching a recruitment drive to bring in two new sales executives as the newspaper continues to grow its commercial operations across the county.
The move comes as the Herald strengthens its position as the leading independent news platform in West Wales, with increasing demand from local businesses looking to advertise both in print and online.
The expansion is being driven in part by the rapid growth of Milford Haven and the wider energy sector, with major investment in green energy projects, port activity and associated industries creating new opportunities for local businesses.
As the area continues to develop as a key energy hub, more companies are seeking to reach customers, partners and the wider community through trusted local media.
The successful candidates will work directly with Pembrokeshire businesses, helping them promote their services to a growing audience through the Herald’s expanding digital reach and established print readership.
Editor Tom Sinclair said the recruitment reflects both the changing local economy and the Herald’s increasing audience.
He said: “Milford Haven is expanding rapidly, particularly with new energy and green projects coming forward, and that’s creating real opportunities for local businesses.
“At the same time, our audience continues to grow across both our website and social media platforms, meaning we can now offer advertisers a much bigger and more effective platform than ever before.”
The new roles will focus on building relationships with local firms, developing advertising campaigns, and identifying new opportunities across sectors including tourism, retail, trades, energy and professional services.
The Herald has continued to invest in its digital platforms, including Herald.Wales, alongside its well-established print edition, offering advertisers a multi-platform approach to reaching customers.
The recruitment drive also comes at a time when many local businesses are looking for cost-effective ways to promote themselves amid ongoing economic pressures.
Mr Sinclair added: “Local advertising matters. When businesses advertise locally, that money stays in the local economy. It helps create jobs, supports families and helps communities grow alongside the businesses within them.”
The roles are expected to appeal to motivated, target-driven individuals with strong communication skills and an interest in media, sales or marketing.
Both positions are based in Pembrokeshire, with opportunities for training and career progression within the Herald’s growing media group.
Anyone interested in applying is encouraged to email [email protected] with a CV and covering letter before Tuesday (Apr 1, 2026).
-
News6 days agoRayner and Lammy visit Wales to discuss justice and community safety
-
News5 days agoFishguard linked to allegations in Many Tears Animal Rescue investigation
-
News3 days agoEmergency services flood Haverfordwest after reports of person in river
-
Local Government6 days agoInvestigation confirmed after inspectors visit Many Tears Animal Rescue
-
Crime2 days agoMother given community order after admitting child cruelty offence
-
Business7 days agoTesco B&Q Haverfordwest click and collect pod approved
-
Community6 days agoTown hall takeover plan questioned as cost figures conflict
-
Health1 day agoNHS waiting list falls — but cancer delays and diagnostic backlog worsen











