News
Major traffic disruption for county town
A ROUNDABOUT redevelopment is already causing havoc for traffic in Haverfordwest as work at a busy junction is set to take up to 26 weeks to upgrade. This comes at the same time as the county town prepares for the County Show that always carries with it a huge increase in traffic volume.
The building work is said by Pembrokeshire County Council to be essential to increasing the road’s capacity as new developments take place on Slade Lane, including a new Sainsbury’s supermarket. The roundabout, located by Thomas Parry Road, is set to have a new traffic light system to aid traffic flow. Local people had plenty to say about this development on social media. Lee Skone expressed his concern, saying: “This is another example of the ineptitude of Pembrokeshire County Council. No forethought has gone into any of the recent redevelopments in Haverfordwest, it’s just been about getting big rates from the big businesses to line the coffers of the Council and no consideration for the people who shop there. Personally, I now shop in Carmarthen, a town centre that has shown how a redevelopment should be done.” However one of the workmen, Neil Butland, defended the works, saying: “Hypocrites. You all drive cars. You all use electricity, water gas and phones. Yet you complain about essential road improvements needed for the development of a town you will all no doubt shop in, and no doubt visit the cinema and facilities that will eventually be constructed. “You see roads as simply a surface to drive your vehicles on and obviously have no understanding of the vast network of pipes and cables that carry the everyday utilities you so ignorantly assume just appear from your sockets, taps and cookers as if by magic”. Also defending the work was County Council Cabinet member for Transportation, Rob Lewis, who said: “This work is essential because of the anticipated rise in traffic which will be generated by major investment in the town. I would ask people to be patient and, if possible, either reroute their journeys or allow extra journey time in case of delays.”
News
Visitor levy and accommodation register proposals to boost tourism
THE Welsh Government has announced plans to introduce new legislation to support the tourism industry and local communities across Wales. Two proposed Bills aim to give local authorities the power to introduce a visitor levy and create a national register for visitor accommodation.
The announcement, made by Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford and Economy Secretary Rebecca Evans, outlines a Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill set to be introduced to the Senedd on 25 November, pending approval.
Under the new proposal, local councils would have the authority to introduce a small levy for overnight stays in visitor accommodations, generating additional funds to support sustainable tourism initiatives. Each local authority would decide on the levy based on local needs, potentially easing the burden on resources in popular tourist areas.
Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said that the levy would be “a small charge,” intended to help councils manage the impacts of tourism and invest in community infrastructure. “This will support the long-term sustainability of our tourism industry,” he added, emphasising that the approach is in line with the Welsh Government’s commitment to collaborative tax development.
Consultations led by the Welsh Revenue Authority highlighted the importance of a registration system to support the proposed levy. Feedback from stakeholders led to the decision to include a national register of all visitor accommodation providers in Wales as part of the Bill, aimed at ensuring quality standards across the sector.
In addition to the visitor levy, the Welsh Government previously consulted on a licensing scheme for visitor accommodation to create a fair playing field for providers and ensure visitors receive high-standard services. The proposed registration scheme within the Bill marks a first step toward this broader licensing framework.
The second phase of the initiative will involve a separate Bill aimed at establishing a statutory licensing scheme for visitor accommodations. This would allow providers to demonstrate compliance with certain conditions, enhancing transparency and standards. Welsh Government representatives confirmed they would continue discussions with tourism stakeholders, accommodation providers, and local authorities as the proposals progress.
If approved, the Bills will mark a significant shift in how Wales manages its tourism sector, balancing visitor demand with community needs and sustainable practices.
Business
Small business briefing hosted by Local MS
A BRIEFING event which considered how to best support small businesses in Wales has been hosted by Preseli Pembrokeshire Senedd Member Paul Davies. Mr Davies hosted the event in partnership with the Development Bank of Wales, Economic Intelligence Wales and the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Wales at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay. The theme of the event was ‘productivity’, given that Wales has had a persistent productivity gap with the UK as a whole and with other international competitor regions.
Mr Davies said, “It’s always a pleasure to help facilitate discussions on how we can support small businesses across Wales. 99.3% of businesses in Wales are small or medium enterprises (SMEs) and it’s important for us to explore the opportunities there are to boost SME growth.”
“Business-friendly policies are needed to address Wales’s persistent productivity gap, and we heard from the speakers today that more support is needed in areas like skills development, infrastructure enhancements and planning.”
“As I’ve said before, the Welsh Government has some significant economic levers, and it must now use those levers to create conditions for growth in Wales. We know that when small businesses thrive, they create jobs, spread prosperity and keep our communities vibrant and it’s crucial that governments at all levels do more to support our small businesses and enable them to grow.”
Business
Bristol Trader to temporarily serve menu at the Castle Hotel
The team of a popular riverside pub in Pembrokeshire, devastated by a recent fire, will relocate to a new town centre location while repair work is carried out on the original site.
On Wednesday, 6 November, a fire broke out at The Bristol Trader, situated on Haverfordwest’s riverside, causing significant damage to the building. The fire affected two floors of the pub as well as the roof space, forcing its closure. Smoke from the blaze was visible across the town as firefighters from Haverfordwest and Milford Haven worked for two hours to extinguish the flames.
Following the incident, the pub’s owners expressed their sadness, describing the team as “absolutely heartbroken” but determined to reopen and come back stronger. They extended their gratitude to the regulars, locals, friends, and family who have offered their support during this difficult time.
In the meantime, The Bristol Trader team will continue operating from an alternative venue. Beginning Monday, 18 November, the pub will relocate to the restaurant of the Castle Hotel, located on Haverfordwest Square, where they’ll serve the same menu.
“While repairs are being made to The Bristol Trader, Team Trader are being temporarily relocated to The Castle Hotel Restaurant from Monday the 18th of November,” announced the team in a social media post. “All our menus are attached to our Facebook page, and the phone lines are being redirected.”
Anyone with a booking at The Bristol Trader who hasn’t been in touch since the fire on 6 November is encouraged to contact the team at 01437 762122.
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David
September 1, 2014 at 9:57 pm
I am shocked by the road works on Thomas Parry Way and the decision to put up traffic lights on the roundabout.
We are supposed to learn from mistakes and after the disaster that the traffic lights in Merlins Bridge proved to be they are now going to spend millions to make the traffic worse, they made Merlins Bridge a bottle neck AM and PM now they will do the same with the road coming in from St Davids and of course it will cause massive backlogs that will stop the traffic flowing on the roundabout at Morrison’s, make the most of Haverfordwest now when the road works are going on, when it is all finished it will be far worse. It seems that the council wants to drive away shoppers and visitors with never ending road works and draconian traffic wardens. I pity all the taxi and bus drivers in town. I will avoid Haverfordwest in future.
Teifion
September 2, 2014 at 1:32 pm
So that’s why BPJ volunteered tyo go on garden leave – he didn’t fancy the drive into H/west and EVEN HE thought getting a chaffeur would be a bit too far and should appear on his P11d as a taxable benefit on which he would have to pay extra tax) even if Jamie just said yessss bossss, throw the ball, throw the ball 😉